Crossroads
by Callista Miralni
Summary: "Don't think of this-" Sasuke laced their fingers together. "-as an obligation, but as a promise." The real question was could Sakura accept it? Growing up never seemed so difficult. College AU. SasuSaku
1. ichi

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: Plot, mine. Characters, definitely not.

A writing exercise of sort. Based on an original work. Yeah... this probably won't end well.

You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

* * *

It was the same everywhere.

The _pomp,_ the _circumstance,_ the _piles of money _going around.

Graduation.

* * *

**-naruto-**

Naruto tugged on the end of his tie before yanking it off his neck and tossing it over his shoulder. The tie was too much. He didn't want to seem like he was trying too hard to make an impression.

But he was trying to leave an impression. This was his last chance to leave some kind of memorable imprint on a girl who meant everything to him.

Too bad she didn't believe him when he said _I love you._

* * *

**-sasuke-**

He couldn't believe it was over.

Four years of sleepless nights spent in the library or the resident hall lounge. Four years of grueling labs and constantly changing material. Four years of mental breakdowns, caused both by academics and his friends, culminating in a five minute walk across a black stage.

Outside the arena, a wave of his friends and classmates stopped to offer their congratulations. Several mentioned they would bring their gifts to the graduation party his closest friends organized for later that evening.

His classmate, best friend, and fellow graduate, Haruno Sakura, engulfed him in a tight hug.

"We graduated!" She screamed, jade eyes sparkling with delight. "Can you believe it, Sasuke-kun? We finally graduated!"

He put a hand on her shoulder to calm the constant bouncing on her heels. "Yes, I know, Sakura."

She pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. "Way to be a total killjoy about it, Sasuke-kun. We were in one of the most difficult programs at university and we _aced _it."

He and Sakura met their freshman year after he bumped into her best friend and spilled coffee all over her shirt the second week of school. To his horror, this strange pink-haired girl was in most of his classes and was his lab partner for introductory microbiology. They were two of six over-ambitious students double majoring in biochemistry and microbiology.

"Sasuke-kun!" His mother waved him over to where she stood with his father, his older brother Itachi, and a couple he immediately recognized but never met in person. Sakura, too, turned her head at the sound of his name and frowned once her gaze landed on the couple.

"Chichiue. Hahaue."

Haruno Kizashi gave his youngest daughter a soft, but stern, smile. "Congratulations, Sakura-san." He opened his arms for a hug. "You too, Sasuke-san. I didn't realize my daughter's best friend was _you_ of all people."

Sasuke frowned. _Him_ of all people? What on earth was that supposed to mean?

He caught Itachi's eye and his brother barely shook his head.

"I've made lunch reservations at Main Street," Kizashi continued to say. "Would you join us, Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san?"

Mikoto graciously accepted the invitation. "Sasuke-kun, you and Sakura-san rode over here together, right? Take her to the restaurant as well."

How did his mother know that? Sasuke never mentioned it. He and Sakura arranged it the day before so they wouldn't get lost on their way to the pre-ceremony reception and would be able to sit next to each other for the benefit of their numerous mutual friends.

Sakura tugged on his arm. "C'mon," she urged him in a quiet voice. "It's best to get this over with."

Get _what_ over with?

* * *

**-sakura-**

The feeling of unease weighed heavily in her stomach as Sasuke drove through the winding streets to Main Street Bistro.

Of course her father would pick the classiest restaurant in all of En for their luncheon. Sakura didn't know what kind of game her father was trying to play and that scared her.

Her father wanted her to become a doctor. Fine. Sakura enrolled in a dual-major program and enjoyed the work, much to her surprise. She actually looked forward to medical school in the fall.

Her father wanted her to inherit the family's medical empire. Fine. Sakura took several business courses in college and had a minor in Entrepreneurship.

Sakura sacrificed everything on account of her father's wishes. In high school, she built up her student portfolio with club activities, volunteer work, music lessons, and advanced classes. She was so busy, Sakura didn't have time for things like hanging out with friends.

University was a little different. Her time was her own and not micromanaged by her mother. Without the familiar faces of her extensive family surrounding her, Sakura made friends and kept them, despite her busy schedule. She was sad to leave her undergraduate years behind because it meant leaving the freedom to be a young adult behind as well.

"You know how the play these games as well as I do, if not better."

Sasuke killed the engine to his Nissan Skyline. "What of it?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

Sakura gave him a conflicted smile. "It means," she responded, smoothing his blazer collar down. "Whatever happens today, I will always support you as your friend."

Sasuke abruptly opened his door and walked around to open hers. They walked in silence to the main door.

"Hi! Party of two?"

Sakura shook her head. "We're part of the Haruno party."

The woman led them to the back corner—the most secluded part of the restaurant. A chill ran down Sakura's spine as she sank into the empty chair next to Sasuke's older brother. Mechanically thanking Sasuke for pulling out her seat, Sakura steeled her nerves.

Uchiha-san, Sasuke's mother, gave her a warm smile before exchanging a loaded glance with her father. Ordering a bottle of white wine, the Uchiha matron ordered the waiter to serve each person a glass. Sasuke must have sensed her anxiety because he gripped her hand tightly under the table, out of sight from everyone else, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Sasuke-kun, Sakura-san, we have an announcement to make."

Her grip on Sasuke tightened.

* * *

**-naruto-**

The house was packed with people.

He helped prepare the house for the party, grilling steaks on the back porch. Naruto was halfway done when people started arriving.

He saw her through the open back door about an hour after the party started. People crowded around her, offering their congratulations and shoving gifts and cards into her hands. She smiled and thanked each person in turn.

There was something different about her from when he watched her walk across the stage with her head held high. She practically radiated of happiness and delight but now it was tempered by unease.

Beside her, Naruto's mentor and one of his best friends underwent the same routine. Sasuke extended a hand to take her gifts but she declined with a shake of her head. She whispered something in his ear and he smirked before leading her to the kitchen where Naruto knew her best friend was waiting.

Closing his eyes, he tried not to dwell on their interaction. Sasuke wouldn't betray him.

Right?

* * *

"Hey."

Bumping fists with Sasuke, Naruto smiled at her. He wanted so badly to reach out and embrace her but he restrained himself. She always looked so uncomfortable with his touch, shying away and returning his hugs with reluctance.

"Congratulations."

She grinned and thanked him but something seemed different. She looked tense, almost nervous to see him.

He wondered why.

"Sakura-chan!" Ino called her, enthusiastically waving for her to come to her side. "Tenten-chan and Karin-chan are here!"

She excused herself. Sasuke shifted his weight—a nervous habit Naruto knew meant he wasn't telling him some thing.

"Spit it out."

"It's nothing," Sasuke reassured him. "Want to get a drink?"

* * *

**-ino-**

Ino excitedly pulled her best friend through the crowded hallways to an empty room at the end of the hall.

"So?" She sat down on the bed. "Where did you and your parents go with Sasuke-kun after graduation? You guys disappeared fast."

Sakura tensed. "To Main Street." She named a local restaurant favorite. "Chichiue made reservations for us."

"Really? For all of you? Did you plan to eat lunch with Sasuke-kun and his parents?"

She didn't respond, choosing instead to pick up a photo frame on the desk. "This is Naruto-kun's room?"

Ino frowned. "I don't know. Why do you think that?"

She came face to face with a framed photo from last Spring Break of their trip to Nami. Hinata snapped this candid shot of the four of them and posted it on facebook. Ino and Sakura were caged in between Sasuke and Naruto as the boys attempted to get them into the water.

"Oh."

Sakura shoved another frame into her hands. It was also from that same Spring Break and taken on what they called "formal night." Briefly, Ino remembered the beachside restaurant they picked out with their incredible sea food. She snapped the picture in her hands of Naruto asking Sakura to dance to the Chopin waltz playing on the dance floor.

"Saki-chan," Ino said as she returned the frames to the dresser. "You'd tell me if something was up, right?"

The smile didn't quite reach her green eyes.

"Of course."

* * *

Later in the night, Ino found Sasuke nursing a beer by himself on a corner of the back deck.

"Hey."

He scooted over to make room for her. Ino sat down and casually asked, "How was lunch with Sakura-chan's parents?"

Sasuke tensed and took a drink.

"It was just lunch. Nothing special."

Briefly, she wondered why neither of them would go into much detail.

"I didn't know your parents knew each other."

Sasuke offered her a taste of his beer. She declined.

"Me neither. I guess they're business partners."

In a way, it made sense. Sakura's dad owned a hospital and Sasuke's mom was the CEO of a medical research lab. Sakura herself was slated to go to medical school in the fall while Sasuke had an internship waiting at his mother's company for the summer.

"That's nice," Ino commented off-handedly. "At least, you know you'll never lose touch with Sakura-chan, right?"

He went rigid before covering it up by taking another drink.

"Yeah. We'll never be apart."

* * *

**-sakura-**

She giggled as Karin dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder and ignored Kiba with an exaggerated huff of impatience. Sakura was going to miss this—the carefree moments of reprieve from constant studying and the brightness these people infused in her life.

"Saki-chan!" Someone yelled her name from the living room. "Come in here and take a shot with us!"

At the mention of taking shots, Karin shot forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her through the crowd effortlessly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Summa Cum Laude graduate has arrived!"

Blushing at the mention of her honors status, Sakura accepted the lime and the shot of tequila before extending her hand and allowing Sai to pour salt on her skin. With practiced ease, she licked the salt off her hand, downed the shot, and sucked on the lime. Sakura didn't grimace like the others had and people loudly cheered.

"And to think," Tenten wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This girl refused to hang with us on the weekends before her twentieth birthday. She takes tequila shots and holds her liquor better than the rest of you!"

The crowd hollered indignantly at Tenten's bold statement, clamoring for her to take a shot of Everclear. She obliged with a flourish.

"A toast," a familiar voice said in her ear at the same time someone pressed a shot of her favorite liquor—Absolut Vodka—into her hand.

Sakura smiled weakly and turned around to toast Naruto properly. "To the end of another school year," she said as she tapped her glass against his.

"To you and all your amazing accomplishments, Haruno Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

His gaze was too intense on her and she wished she had something in her hands to occupy herself with other than the empty shot glass. Reaching for her cell phone, Sakura pretended to check it for a message.

"Hey," Sasuke appeared before her with their belongings in hand. "We've got to go."

She glanced at the time. Two am. Perfect.

Passing the glass back to Naruto, she reached for her wristlet and gifts. Sasuke shifted his weight before smirking at Naruto and telling him he'd see him at the gym in the afternoon. Sakura quickly said goodbye to him as well before waving to Ino.

Sasuke opened his car door for her and she sank into the front seat. As he started the car, he glanced at her before squeezing her hand.

_Hey, it's okay_. The silent message filled the space.

She looked at him in doubt. "It's so hard keeping this from everyone."

"They'll know soon enough," Sasuke reassured her in a soft voice. "It won't be long until the announcement is made."

Sakura sighed quietly and leaned back into the seat. "A whole summer of keeping this from Ino-chan..."

Sasuke glanced at her again, the meaning of his stare effortlessly interpreted in her head, before shifting into drive and turning on the radio. He had faith in her, was it?

She wished she had the same confidence.

* * *

Author's Note:

In Japan, the legal drinking age is twenty, not twenty-one.

I think I may have found the grievous flaws with the original version of _Crossroads._ Alas, this is too much fun to write.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	2. ni

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: plot, mine. Characters, not mine. Simple really. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

Hmm. I wonder if all these pieces I'm adding makes this story more coherent or not. Oh well.

* * *

_Miserably rolling his glass between his palms, Naruto couldn't look his best friend in the eye after he blurted out his closest guarded secret._

_Sasuke didn't flinch at his outburst, choosing instead to mix another Jack and Coke. "Drink," he said coolly, pushing the red Solo cup into Naruto's hands before mixing another for himself._

"_Sasuke, do you understand anything I've been telling you?"_

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I understand you need a drink. So drink your damn Jack and Coke, Naruto."_

_The blonde wanted to shout and accuse Sasuke of being callous but after taking a sip of the mixture, his protests died in his throat._

_Naruto wanted more._

"_Now," Sasuke said, as businesslike as an obviously buzzed person could be. "What are you going to do about it?"_

* * *

"_You're shitting me."_

_Sasuke heard Sakura swear before but never in front of older adults. In front of sempais and senseis, Haruno Sakura was all charm and sweet smiles._

"_Sakura-san, you're making a scene." Her mother snapped._

"_I'm making a scene?" The woman's jade eyes flashed with anger. "You think announcing this at a public restaurant will not cause a scene? I can't believe you!"_

_Sasuke pulled her back into her seat._

"_I gave up everything because you asked me to!" Sakura yelled at her father. "The one choice that could have been mine alone... you decided to take that from me as well."_

"_Sakura-san," Kizashi warned her. "Eat your cake."_

"_Eat my cake?" Sakura scoffed. "You've decided my entire future, despite the fact that I am legally an adult, and all you can say to me is __eat your cake__? Incredible."_

_She made another movement to leave, but Sasuke stopped her again._

"_Sakura," he murmured. "Play the game, remember?"_

* * *

_In her apartment, Sasuke calmly listened to her rant as she threw her belongings into cardboard boxes._

"_Can you believe this?" She shrieked, tossing another set of measuring spoons into the box. "Of all the things in the world... what century do we live in where such an arrangement is necessary?_

_He wondered why on earth she had so many sets of measuring utensils._

"_How are you not upset about this?" Sakura turned on him, hands on her hips. "You're just as affected as I am."_

_Sasuke leaned against the counter. "Unlike you, I had a feeling this day would come soon."_

_She scoffed. "You thought you'd be stuck in this predicament with me one day?"_

_Shrugging, he rectified his answer. "Well... not you per say, but someone. With Itachi-nii following after Otou-san in the film industry, I'm the only one left to take over Okaa-san's lab. It's important to keep these kinds of things within families, you know?"_

_Sasuke knew she was about the launch into another long-winded rant about modern times and basic civil liberties so he hurriedly added, "But I'm glad it's you."_

_Stunned, Sakura dropped the measuring cups in her hands._

"_Why?"_

* * *

**-sakura-  
-three weeks later-**

Sakura wiped the sweat off her neck with a damp towel and took a long drink of water. The makeshift dance studio in her parents' house used to be the children's study but when her eldest brother got into hip hop dance almost ten years ago, he put up a wall of mirrors and a surround sound system.

She never admitted it, but Sakura loved to dance. She spent hours watching choreographers and practicing in this very room. It was a talent she shared with no one else but her three other siblings and she wanted to keep it that way.

"You dance?"

Sasuke leaned against the door frame, watching her in the mirror. She took another sip of water before addressing him.

"What are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow and Sakura wanted to strangle her brother. The worst part of this whole arrangement was the instant camaraderie her three siblings developed with her best friend. Sakura made a mental note to talk to Takashi about gossiping to her friends about her well-being. What other reason would Sasuke have for being in her house?

"How did you get in?"

"Misa."

She made another mental note to talk to her older sister about letting people inside on whim.

"Give me thirty minutes to shower and get dressed."

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Looking around Sakura's childhood bedroom, he couldn't help but compare how different it was from her room in her student apartment. In here, everything was light and Victorian, full of swirling lines and solid colors. At the apartment, she had everything utilitarian and patterned with blue and white squares.

The few photos displayed on the walls showed people Sasuke didn't know. Looking at the photographs unsettled him; how much about Sakura did he actually know? She had an entire life in this bedroom completely foreign to him.

"They are my cousins."

Sakura stood behind him, toweling her damp hair dry. Tossing the towel into the laundry hamper, she sat before the vanity and applied her make-up. Sasuke turned away and went back to studying the photo on the dresser.

"We were sixteen in that photo," she mentioned once she noticed which photo he was studying. "Gaara just got his license and we took off for the beach. Our parents weren't too happy when we came back sunburned."

"They weren't mad you randomly went to the beach?"

She laughed lightly before putting on lip gloss. "Nah. That was to be expected. We're in love with the beach. Our entire family runs this medical enterprise so being sunburned was a big no-no. They told us it made us more vulnerable to skin cancer but that's bullshit. Toss me the Vera Bradley wristlet please."

Handing her the requested item, Sasuke waited for her to slip her phone from its charging dock into the front pocket.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Where are you taking me?"

* * *

Sasuke brought her to La Madeline. Watching her for any kind of expression, he couldn't help but resent the disappointment setting in when she only murmured a quiet "thank you" as he opened the door for her. He heard from Ino that La Madeline was her favorite restaurant; shouldn't she have _some_ kind of reaction to being brought here?

Then again, Sakura did take the news harder than he did. Sasuke already resigned himself to the inevitable but he could not say the same for Sakura. If her dance performance earlier was anything to go by, she was trying to run away from the truth.

Despite her protests, he paid for their meals and led her to a window table. "My idea, my treat."

"Fine," Sakura retorted. "But I get our next meal."

"Fair enough."

The tension between them disappeared as they got up to get drinks and complimentary bread and jam. Sakura behaved like her normal self—laughing at his snide comments as he told tales of his final days with their friends.

In a way, Sasuke was glad it was Sakura and not a complete stranger. At least, they had a good history together. If anything, he could count on Sakura to support him as a friend during what promised to be a turbulent summer ahead.

When their food arrived, Sasuke asked her, "So have you started with the preparations?"

For a moment, she was silent before answering, "My mom booked the venue for the announcement. I'm supposed to go dress shopping this afternoon with Ino-chan."

"Does she know?"

Sakura shook her head. "I only told her it was for something about the hospital and I didn't know the details."

"I can take you"

"You don't have to do that," Sakura protested. "It'll be really boring, I promise. Ino-chan's crazy and loves to dress me up. The last time we went shopping, it took us all day because she kept shoving me into a million different clothes."

"Sakura," he smiled slightly. "It's not a problem."

"If you wanted to go so badly, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" She huffed before taking another bite.

Sasuke shook his head in amusement before finishing the last of his lunch.

* * *

**-ino-**

The silver sports car pulled up to her door was familiar but Ino was still surprised when she opened the front door and found Sakura sheepishly sitting next to Sasuke.

"Hi?" Her best friend said with an awkward laugh. "We were grabbing lunch and he wanted to come with us."

"I didn't know you were in town, Sasuke-kun," Ino said as she slid into the back seat. "You should have called me."

"I had to do something for my mom."

"You can stay at my house if you don't have a place," Ino offered.

Sasuke waved her invitation away. "It's alright. A buddy of mine wants to go out tonight. But thanks for the offer."

"So!" Ino prodded Sakura in the shoulder. "Tell me everything you know about this hospital gala. I'm going to make you look drop dead gorgeous so you can snag a man at last!"

Sakura laughed weakly. "Oh please don't."

"She doesn't need to snag a man," Sasuke piped up with an impish smile. "Naruto's all but popped the question."

Ino laughed. "Naruto-kun doesn't count. He hasn't even asked her out, even though we all know he's head over heels for her."

"He's like a puppy with the way he follows her around. No matter how many times you kick it, the puppy still loves you."

The other woman agreed.

Sakura shoved him in the shoulder and turned to glare at Ino. "That's so mean, you two. Besides, Naruto-kun is not like a puppy."

"How so?" Ino challenged.

"Puppies are cute."

The entire car erupted in laughter.

* * *

Sakura was in the dressing room trying on a sleek black and silver number with a pink bow. Ino drummed her fingers on the armrest in impatience before tilting her head upwards to Sasuke. He was on facebook per usual.

"You really didn't come here because you're bored, did you?"

Sasuke shoved his phone back in his pocket. "Nothing escapes you, does it?" He said with a crooked smile. "I'm supposed to match my tux with her dress."

Shocked, she gaped at him. "Then that means... you're her date to the gala!"

"Exactly." Sasuke gave her another smirk. "But don't mention it because she doesn't know my mom is making me take her."

Ino stared at him for awhile before collecting herself. There was no denying Sasuke was handsome, if the number of girls who slipped him their numbers every time they went out in public was anything to go by. Sasuke had that whole cliche _tall, dark, and handsome_ thing. The worst part was that Sasuke _knew_ he was sought after but was extremely picky. If only he realized his lack of a girlfriend had more to do with his exacting tastes than a lack of available women.

Sakura, the sister of three dazzling and model-worthy individuals, was the plain one in the lot. Not to say she wasn't _pretty,_ but Sakura did nothing to draw attention to herself. She wore enough make up to cover up acne and plucked the stray hairs from her eyebrows, yet anything beyond that was dismissed as a waste of time and energy. If Ino could accuse her best friend of anything, it would be that Sakura had no idea how beautiful she was.

"Are you taking her as a publicity stunt?"

The smile on Sasuke's face wasn't quite as sincere.

"Like I said, nothing escapes you."

* * *

**-sasuke-**

The bar played soft jazz and the dim lights were more for ambiance than practicality. It was the kind of place the elder Uchiha sibling would visit, filled with sophistication and class. Sasuke easily found the alcove in the back corner where his brother sat nursing a martini.

"Why did you want to see me?"

His brother slid the drink menu across the table. "Order first. Then we'll talk."

Grumbling under his breath, Sasuke called a passing waiter and ordered rum and coke. When his drink arrived, Itachi waited until he took a generous sip.

"You must know why I called you here."

"I had to wonder," Sasuke remarked with a touch of sarcasm. "It's not like I'm in the middle of a huge transition right now."

Itachi ignored his comment. "First, I'm sorry Okaa-san insisted on doing this."

"And of course, you target the elephant in the room first."

The elder smiled slightly at the remark and took a drink. "But I wanted to talk to you about it because I know you won't say anything to anyone else."

Sasuke looked at him sharply before glancing around the establishment. "Not here Nii-san."

Calmly, Itachi replied, "I chose this place for its discretion Sasuke. No one will report us here. Be honest; why are you going through with this without complaint?"

Swirling ice around in the glass only bought time for him to think. The last thing Sasuke needed was to be alone with his thoughts.

"She could have picked worse."

Itachi frowned. "It's her, isn't it? You know the options her parents had and if you refused, they would pick another."

Sasuke stiffened in his chair before draining his glass. "I'm not that generous," he snapped. "There's already talks between the companies—doing this one thing will strengthen it even more. Focus on making your films, Nii-san, and I'll focus on the research going on in the lab."

Itachi studied him for a moment longer before smiling slightly and calling for the bill.

"Good luck then."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I think I lied last chapter.

Oh well.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	3. san

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: plot—mine. characters—not mine. Easy right? You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

Surely you've figured out what's going on by now. _Surely._

* * *

_The shit-eating grin on Ino's face was enough to make Sakura regret saying anything to her best friend._

"_Really?" Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with intrigue. "Naruto-kun did that?"_

_Stirring her frozen drink, Sakura took another sip. "Isn't that weird?" She frowned. "Since when was he so considerate?"_

_Ino froze and tried not to glance at the black jacket hanging on the back of a spare chair. "Well..." she trailed off. "He's always been like that, right? I just wished he would show it more. He thinks being a jackass makes him look tough and cool but it just makes him look like an idiot."_

_Sakura scoffed. "That sounds more like Sasuke-kun than Naruto-kun. It escapes me how the two of them are best friends."_

_The blonde shrugged and pushed the salt and pepper aside to make room for the platter of bruschetta arriving at their table. She loaded a piece of bread with tomatoes and took a bite before addressing Sakura again._

"_If you had a choice," Ino began slowly. "Would you choose Naruto-kun or Sasuke-kun?"_

* * *

"_Sakura-chan..."_

_Sasuke looked up and stifled a laugh. His best friend wrapped himself around the petite girl, crushing her to his chest. Sakura struggled under his hold before twirling her pencil around her fingers and driving the point into Naruto's arm._

"_Itai!"_

_Taking advantage of his surprise, Sakura threw Naruto off and glared at him. "Go away. We're busy."_

_Sasuke tried to ignore Naruto's feelings but it was hard. Sakura's dismissal hurt Naruto deeply and he alone knew why._

_Of all the women in the world, Naruto had to pick the most difficult one._

"_You're studying?" The false cheer in his voice sickened Sasuke. "I'll join you!"_

_He picked up his bag and dropped it on the table beside her textbook. Naruto continued to chatter, regaling tales of their weekend to Sakura. She continuously muttered "I don't care," and "how nice of you to mix Sasuke-kun up in your stupidity."_

_Sasuke winced at the last comment. Sakura thought too highly of him sometimes. If he was remotely the man she thought he was, he wouldn't be mixed up with people like Naruto or Kiba in the first place._

_In comparison to those two, Sasuke was a decent enough person, but when he stood next to Sakura, he felt like a delinquent. _

"_Oi," he called. "Quit running your mouth Naruto. We've got work to do."_

* * *

_Karin smoothed her pink locks back into a simple French braid._

"_My cousin will be drooling over you tonight," the red-haired woman exclaimed triumphantly._

_The praise had the opposite effect. Sakura scowled darkly._

"_Karin-chan, I love you but your cousin can be the most obnoxious piece of shit ever."_

_She winced. "Naruto is just enthusiastic," Karin defended him weakly._

"_Is that what they call it nowadays?" Sakura retorted mildly. "I didn't realize it was in his nature to continuously suffocate his friends and proclaim his non-existent marriage to said friend to anyone who will listen."_

_Karin winced again. Sakura always had the uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of an issue._

"_Saki-chan..."_

* * *

**-naruto-**

The first time Sasuke handed him an ivory invitation and told him to dig out his best suit, Naruto couldn't grasp the reality of the situation. It all seemed so surreal.

That was nearly three years ago. When he was a freshman, he thought it was a good idea to put his name in a mentorship program. The guy they paired him up with was an anomaly—sophomores usually weren't allowed to be student mentors. After their first meeting, Naruto understood why Uchiha Sasuke was the exception.

Today, the linen invitation was commonplace. Naruto lost count of the number of events Sasuke invited him to as a means of "lightening the mood." This event—a charity fundraiser—was the first of three Sasuke forewarned him of for the summer.

Naruto stepped out of the car and handed his keys to the valet. Smoothing the tuxedo jacket, he took in the surroundings. The Chateau was the most expensive hotel in the city and tonight, Naruto felt more out of place than ever.

He gave his name to the doorman, passed through security, and walked into the lobby. Following the signs towards the ballroom, Naruto bumped into the least expected person.

"Ino-chan, what are you doing here?"

The blonde-haired woman startled. "Naruto-kun?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Did Sasuke invite her as his date since she lived in the city? If only he had known to bring someone, he would have asked Sakura to come with him.

"Sasuke invited me," Naruto replied. "Are you looking for him?"

Ino shook her head. "Actually, I'm looking for-"

"Ino-san! Over here!"

A tall woman, made taller by her five-inch heels, approached them. Her dark gold hair was swept up into a curling updo and smoky make-up accented her green eyes. There was something familiar about her, but Naruto could not place where he had seen this stunning woman before.

"You must be a friend of Ino-san's."

It took Naruto a moment before he realized she was speaking to him.

"Yes. Uzumaki Naruto." He bowed slightly.

She smiled and again, he was struck by familiarity. "Haruno Misaki, your host for tonight. Pleasure to meet you."

He echoed the statement but her last name struck a chord in him. Misaki was too young to be a mother; perhaps she was-

"I'm afraid I have to steal Ino-san away from you, Naruto-san. I'll return her as soon as possible. Meanwhile, enjoy the party!"

Naruto blankly nodded.

-_Sakura's sister?_

* * *

**-sakura-**

She paced the length of the bride's room, her brother Takashi watching her languidly from a chair.

"Quit pacing. You're making me dizzy. Misa went to get Ino so relax."

Sakura glared at her brother. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. You're not the one-"

The door slammed open and Misa and Ino entered.

"Finally!" Sakura threw her hands in the air. "What took you so long?"

Ino set the Saks Fifth Avenue bag she had been carrying on the bed. "Naruto-kun's here."

"What?!"

Sakura resumed pacing. She knew Naruto's puppy crush wasn't just that; it developed into something not quite love, but more than a crush. It was easier to pretend she wasn't breaking his heart if Naruto had a silly crush.

Tonight would not only break him, but it would ruin the friendship between him and Sasuke.

"I don't think he knows," Ino babbled as she pinned up the last of Sakura's curls. "But Misa-the-Genius introduced herself to him, full name and all, so he might be putting together the pieces."

The thing was, Sakura thought wryly, Ino didn't know everything either.

The door opened again, admitting three people. Sakura sucked in her breath at the sight of her mother.

Haruno Mebuki was a world-famous plastic surgeon. As a mother, she was no-nonsense and strict. Mebuki loved them in her own way but it was hard to be around her parents given the current circumstance.

Her youngest brother, Kazuto, ran a hand through his gelled locks, turning their mother's attention to him as she shooed him to the bathroom to fix his hair.

"Don't forget the flower," Mebuki plucked the boutonnière from Misa's hand and passed it to her youngest daughter. "Ino-san, so good to see you, sweetheart."

Her best friend kissed her mother's cheek before they filed out the door, leaving Sakura alone with the third member of her mother's party.

Sasuke shifted his weight before approaching her and grabbing her wrist. Carefully sliding the corsage from his wrist to hers, he studied the arrangement of primroses, baby's breath, and peach roses.

Sakura glanced at the flowers in her hand before affixing it to the flower hole of Sasuke's tuxedo. "Did you pick the flowers yourself?"

He smirked. "No. But I may have told my mother that peach roses are your favorite flower."

Sakura laughed weakly. "You know that's not true."

"Then it's a good thing for me my mother does not know the language of flowers."

"Naruto-kun is here," she said as she smoothed the wrinkles from his shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sasuke frowned before letting out a soft sigh. "I heard. He called me up earlier to ask for directions. I didn't even know he was on the guest list."

"It doesn't matter," Sakura sighed. "Tonight is only just the beginning."

* * *

**-ino-**

The ballroom was filled with people. Ino smiled and took mental note of all the contacts she met in the past. It would do her well to reacquaint herself with some of these people in hopes of talking her way into an internship or a job. After all, wasn't life about who she knows, not what she knew?

"It really doesn't matter where you are, Ino-chan; you always seem to know everyone."

Lightly glaring at Naruto, Ino snatched the other wine glass from his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Still waiting for Sasuke to show up. The most interesting conversation I've been in so far is what I think about the Gulf oil spill. Hardly fascinating."

Ino laughed and decided to take pity on Naruto. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to someone."

It was easy to find Kazuto among the crowd. At five nine and eighteen years old, he was the youngest person in the room and had a crowd of adults surrounding him shouting advice for college.

When Kazuto saw her waving at him, he excused himself from the crowd. "Ino-nee, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but you are the best friend ever."

"Yeah yeah. You say that now. Kazu-kun, this is my friend Uzumaki Naruto-kun. We're in the same year at university."

Shaking Naruto's hand, Kazuto said, "Nice to meet you. Enjoying the party?"

The other man snorted. "Sure. If oil spills are a topic of interest."

The teen laughed. "You must have met Fujiyama-sensei. He's very passionate about reading the _Times_."

Misa took the stage and delicately rapped on her wine glass with a spoon. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you would kindly take your seats, dinner is served."

"Come on." Kazuto seized Ino's hand. "Misa-nee said she saved a seat for you guys with me."

Ino threw a questioning glance at Naruto over her shoulder. He shrugged and followed her through the crowd.

Halfway to their seats, a flash of peach chiffon caught her eye. Ino caught a glimpse of Sakura with her hand in the crook of Sasuke's arm, giving the older couple they were speaking with a charming smile. Sasuke said something to the couple before leading Sakura in the same direction she was headed.

Keeping them in her peripheral vision, Ino noticed even long after she had taken her seat, people continued to stop Sasuke and Sakura. After another impatient call from Misa to take their seats, the pair finally stopped at her table. Sasuke pulled out the empty chair on her right before seating himself next on Sakura's other side.

"What took you so long?" Kazuto drank his tea. "I thought Misa-nee was about to strangle you two."

"It's not our fault everyone wants to talk to us," Sakura grumbled. "It's like they haven't seen us once in the past four years."

Kazuto rolled his eyes. "That's because no one has seen you in four years," he answered smartly. "Unlike Sasuke-nii, who makes an appearance every season, you insist on locking yourself at home to study or sleep."

"Shut up, Kazu."

Naruto had been staring at them since they sat down. "Glad you could make it," Sasuke finally said to him. "I wondered if you got lost."

He snapped out of his stupor. "Yeah," he buttered a roll. "Thanks for inviting me again man."

If Ino had not been watching Sakura closely, she would have missed the way Sakura tensed at the sound of Naruto's voice.

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Sakura sat ramrod straight in her chair, her left hand clenching the fabric of her dress. Sasuke gripped her hand under the table and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Kazuto continued to chatter, blissfully unaware of the tension sailing over his head. Sasuke knew Naruto questioned why he was with Sakura; the matching flowers on their person surely signified they were each other's date for the evening. Naruto had yet to address the issue and Sasuke wasn't going to initiate the conversation.

A waiter came by with a tray of desserts. Sasuke pointed to a chocolate cake with raspberries and handed it to Sakura.

Sakura gave him a weak smile and thanked him softly before picking up her fork and taking a bite. Sasuke signaled for another piece of cake and gave it to Ino. The other woman gushed over his thoughtfulness, thanking him exuberantly.

"So Kazuto-kun," Naruto said. "How do you know Sasuke, Sakura-chan, and Ino-chan?'

Kazuto swallowed his cake. "I met Sasuke-nii at the hospital a couple weeks ago, Saki-nee's my sister, and Ino-nee never leaves the house."

"Oh that's nice—wait. Sakura-chan is your sister?"

Sasuke smothered a laugh at Kazuto's infamous _are you stupid_ look. "Can't you tell?" He pulled Sakura right next to him. "Out of all the Harunos, we look the most alike."

The woman shoved her brother off of her. "He gets it, Kazu."

The sting quartet swelled into the opening waltz. His parents, Mr. and Dr. Haruno, Takashi and Misa started the dance.

That was his cue.

Sasuke stood up from his chair and offered a hand to Sakura. "Would you like to dance?"

Sakura set her napkin down on the table and accepted his offer. Once they were spinning on the dance floor, Sakura whispered, "I know he's your best friend, but I really wish he wasn't here."

Bending his head slightly, Sasuke replied, "I know, but I promise you I did not put his name on the guest list. My mom must have automatically assumed I wanted him here."

"Do you?"

"Hn."

Sakura giggled. To everyone else, it looked like they were any other couple whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears.

"Stop being so chivalrous. You can't fool me, Uchiha Sasuke. I know what you're really like."

He saw Naruto offer a hand to Ino. What he was about to do was wrong, but Sasuke had no other choice. His entire future depended on this evening.

Deftly maneuvering them to be in line of sight, Sasuke put his lips close to her ear. "Then it's a good thing you like me anyways," he said before softly pressing his lips to her cheek.

* * *

Author's note:

_Baby's breath_ means innocence and pure at heart. _Primroses_ mean eternal love. _Peach roses_ mean gratitude, appreciation, admiration or sympathy. Take a gamble what the arrangement means.

Ja ne-

Callista Miralni


	4. yon

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: only plot. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

* * *

_Sasuke took one look at her before he slammed her book shut._

"_What the hell Sasuke-kun?"_

_Ignoring her furious jade eyes, Sasuke leaned across the table. "We're leaving."_

"_Sasuke-kun, we still need to finish this assignment-"_

"_That is due on Wednesday," he interrupted. "When was the last time you took time for yourself?"_

_Sakura opened her mouth to protest (I went shopping with Ino-chan on Saturday baka) but she glanced down at her planner and realized with shock it had been over a month since her best friend dragged her to the capitol for a six-hour shopping spree._

_He swept her belongings into her bag and hoisted it over his shoulder with his own. "C'mon," he gently tugged her out of her chair. "Let's go."_

* * *

_Her cell phone buzzed with yet another text. Despite her tipsy state, Sakura elegantly picked up her phone to read the message before deftly composing a reply. _

_Tenten caught a glimpse of the screen. "Sasuke-san's awfully concerned about you."_

_Sakura laughed. "Really, Tenten-chan? He's my best friend."_

"_He knows we're out together." Karin interjected. "It's not like he's your boyfriend."_

_During the entire exchange, Ino said nothing._

"_If it bothers you so much, I won't text him back. Geez." Sakura rolled her eyes. She gave her friends a fond smile. "Want another shot?"_

_The next morning, Sasuke hunted her down at Karin's apartment and only left once the girls had been fed and adequately hydrated. At that moment, Ino knew what everyone else didn't._

_Sasuke cared. Maybe a little too much._

* * *

_This was the worst party she ever attended. _

_People awkwardly huddled around the beer pong table, talking loudly to fill the silence. The cooler was only filled with beer and all the hard liquor mysteriously went missing. Despite the instructions to dress up according to the theme of "office hoes and CEOs," hardly anyone felt the spirit of of the occasion._

_To make matters worse, Ino was completely drunk and Sasuke was well on his way to joining her. Only Naruto seemed remotely sober and that was a chilling thought._

_She wished she hadn't volunteered to be the designated driver. _

_Sitting on the couch next to Sasuke, she politely declined the beer he offered her. On her other side, Naruto was uncharacteristically silent._

"_Sakura," Sasuke drawled. "Are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine," she responded, all too aware of Naruto's arm draped across the back of the couch behind her. "You know, Sasuke-kun, I don't think I've seen you this drunk before."_

_His pale skin flushed and immediately Sakura wondered if he was aldehyde dehydrogenase II deficient. _

_Someone turned on bad rap music and people started grinding on each other, pulling bystanders into the crowd. She tensed._

"_Relax, Sakura-chan," Naruto finally said something. "You're too stiff. No one is going to bother you with us around."_

_Kiba brushed past her, causing Sakura to shrink into the couch. The heat of Naruto's skin warmed the back of her neck and she couldn't tell if she was blushing from the close contact or not. Pulling out her phone, Sakura opened up a game and started playing to pass the time until Ino and Sasuke were ready to leave. Naruto leaned in to watch her play and she discreetly pressed closer into Sasuke's side to create space between them._

_Her actions did not go unnoticed. Sasuke turned to her and took in the sight of his two best friends cozied up together on the couch. Naruto struggled not to betray his elation while Sakura masked her discomfort with her determined focus on her game._

_What to do? Naruto would kill him for ruining his so-called "moment" but Sakura subconsciously depended on him to protect her._

"_Sakura-"_

_Her relief when he addressed her was paramount._

"_Let's go."_

* * *

**-sasuke-  
-one week later-**

His mother flipped through the lifestyles section of the newspaper over breakfast.

"They're taking the bait. Every thing is going according to plan," she said as a greeting.

Sasuke buttered a slice of toast and thanked the butler for pouring him a glass of orange juice. "Really? What makes you think that?"

Uchiha Mikoto tossed the weekend edition of _People_ magazine at him. The bookmarked page was a two-page spread dedicated to him and Sakura walking around the city. One of the biggest photos was a shot from last week's gala of him kissing her cheek.

_Celebrity surgeon Haruno Mebuki's youngest daughter, Sakura, seen with film director Uchiha Fugaku's youngest son, Sasuke, around the city. Last spring, Uchiha Sasuke declined to comment on the status of his love life at his father's premiere of _Vindication.

He vaguely remembered the reporter asking him about his life now that he was in college. "No comment" was a frequently used response that evening.

_Could his lack of a response then stem from his need to protect Haruno Sakura from the spotlight? Who knows? _

Sasuke snorted at the last comment. "Incredible," he remarked to his mother. "The press managed to string two completely unrelated occasions together._"_

"Everyone loves a good conspiracy," his mother said as she sipped on her tea. "You know what to do, Sasuke-kun."

Bowing his head, Sasuke murmured, "Of course."

* * *

**-sakura-**

Sakura switched her cell phone from one ear to the other. "No, Ino-chan, I have not read the latest issue of _People_. You know I don't read that stuff."

"Well you should," her best friend huffed on the phone. "You and Sasuke-kun have a two-page spread. I can't believe some of the things these people print. Whatever happened to good journalism?"

"What do you mean?"

The sound of ruffling pages filled the phone. "It says you guys are in a secret relationship and have been since at least last spring. Ridiculous."

"What if I was in a secret relationship with Sasuke-kun?" Sakura tried to make it sound like a joke. "I have been spending a lot of time with him lately. Almost more than what I spend with you."

"Puh-lease," Ino said. "You've always spent more time with Sasuke-kun than me because you guys were study partners. It would take a lot more than the paparazzi to convince me."

"Saki-chan," Misa poked her head around her bedroom door. "He's here."

Hastily, Sakura said goodbye and left her phone on the desk. Sasuke waited for her in the living room, looking at all the portraits hanging on the wall.

"You really do look like Kazuto."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around since I'm older?"

Sasuke grinned before taking a seat next to her on the couch. "They took the bait."

Sakura nodded. "What should we tell them?"

He smirked. "Why say anything when you could simply show them?"

* * *

**-naruto-**

The second summer gala was in three days. He didn't know why Sasuke called him to come to the city but here they were, standing in a jewelry shop in the middle of the mall.

It was awkward to be around his best friend right now. The memory of a dozen flashing lights, of Sasuke pressing the soft kiss to Sakura's cheek, of the rosy flush of her cheeks and the slight curve of her fond smile looped through his head. In the end, he couldn't do much more than dismiss it as a gesture between close friends.

He ignored the matching boutonnière and corsage.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"Nope," Sasuke said, popping the 'p' in his reply. "Just help me look for a ring."

"If you would tell me what this was for, then I can help you."

Sasuke ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "I knew I should have asked Ino instead."

A saleswoman approached them and asked if they needed assistance.

"Yeah, I'm looking for a woman's ring. _He's_-" Sasuke pointed to Naruto with his thumb, "absolutely no help at all."

"That's because you won't tell me who it's for!"

"It's a surprise," Sasuke explained.

The saleswoman looked a little perplexed. "Perhaps if you describe her to me, I can help you find something appropriate."

Sasuke fell silent, considering her words. Truthfully, Naruto wanted to know who this woman was to have Sasuke of all people buying jewelry for her.

"She's incredible," his best friend said so softly, Naruto almost didn't hear him. "She's got so many sides, it's hard to find a single word to describe her. She's beautiful but she doesn't realize it. She tries so hard to be strong and never admits she needs a shoulder to cry on. She's smart as hell and incredibly modest. She's witty, vivacious, and amazing and I'm lucky to be a part of her life."

There was one person Naruto immediately thought of who fit his description but it was ridiculous to think Sasuke would be buying a ring for _her _of all people.

The saleswoman smiled softly before she slid open the glass case and retrieved a single ring from the display. "She will love this."

Naruto couldn't help but think she would.

* * *

"You didn't even look at the price."

Sasuke shrugged. "It was perfect. Why bother looking elsewhere?"

Naruto tensed. Should he mention what was on his mind? Did her dare accuse his closest friend of stealing what he thought to be his?

He kept his mouth shut. Jumping to conclusions solved nothing—it only created problems. "I hope your mom likes it," Naruto said.

"My mom?"

"Isn't that who you bought the ring for?" He said mildly. "I've never heard you speak about a woman that way so it must be your mom."

Looking away, Sasuke confessed, "It's not for my mom."

"Then who is it for?"

Sasuke tucked the ring box into his pocket. "Come to the gala and see," was all he said before ducking into another department store.

* * *

**-ino-**

"I knew that dress would look killer on you."

Her best friend wore the sleek black and silver dress with the pink bow Ino forced her to buy on their last shopping trip with Sasuke. Sakura paired it with a pair of strappy black heels, boosting her five foot, four inch frame almost four inches.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I admit, you have spectacular taste. Happy now?"

"I'll be happier once you let me do your hair and make-up. God, it's like no one taught you how to dress up that pretty face of yours."

"Pig, you _know_ it's the truth."

"Fair enough," Ino said airily. "That's what I'm for. Turn for me so I can see everything."

Sakura spun around slowly and Ino couldn't decide if it was better for her hair to be up or straightened. "Ino-chan," she started to say something but struggled to find the words. "Whatever you do, help me make an impression tonight."

The woman scoffed. "Without me, you'd never make an impression in the first place. Come on, we're wasting time."

She sat Sakura in the chair Misa pulled into the bathroom and checked the clock. Four o'clock—a little less than three hours before the gala started.

She could do this.

* * *

She bumped into Sasuke in the hallway.

"You're her date again?"

Her friend shrugged. "Yeah."

Ino pursed her lips before dragging Sasuke into the study. "What the hell is going on?"

The easy grin on his face disappeared. "What do you mean? Sakura's my date because my mom wants me to take her. I told you, Ino, it's a publicity stunt."

"Is part of your _publicity stunt_ being photographed holding hands around the city? Is it part of your grand scheme to throw the spotlight on you two in the biggest pop culture journals? I don't buy this publicity stunt nonsense and if you hurt Sakura, I will kill you."

"You don't know anything, so stay out of it. What Sakura and I do with our time is none of your business." Sasuke snapped.

Ino lost her temper. "She's going to medical school! If they revoke her admission because of some scandal printed in the press, everything will be ruined for her. She's not like you, who has a job waiting for you no matter what mess you get yourself into."

"You think I don't know that?" Sasuke demanded. "I've thought about it long before you have. Trust me Ino, stay out of this. She's going to need you to be her best friend after tonight so don't waste your energy being upset."

Sakura's earlier request to _help her make an impression_ did not sound as silly as she thought.

"Sasuke-kun," she softened her voice. "What's going on tonight?"

Instead of replying, he gave her a rare hug.

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Words failed him. Long after Kazuto whisked Ino away into the limo, Sasuke remained in his place.

This gorgeous woman wearing a fitting dress that left little to the imagination was the same person he spent hours teasing in the library? Sasuke finally understood why Naruto always chased after her—Sakura was truly beautiful.

"What?" She sounded annoyed. "Did Ino-chan go overboard again?"

Collecting himself, Sasuke kissed the back of her hand. "You look perfect," he complimented her as he placed the final touches on her outfit. "Not even Misa can outshine you tonight."

She looked uncomfortable as she placed the spray of rainflowers and peach blossoms in the flower hole of his jacket.

"Did you pick out the flowers this time? I'm trying hard not to read into the selection."

She laughed. "Try harder," Sakura said. "Because I did choose them."

Catching her hands, Sasuke said, "Sakura, you know how I feel."

She said nothing, her gaze trained on their hands.

"Don't think of this-" Sasuke laced their fingers together "-as an obligation, but as a promise."

"A promise?"

He softly kissed her forehead. "A lifetime promise of happiness."

* * *

"Nagisawa," Sasuke leaned forward to address the driver. "I can't thank you enough for tonight."

The older man regarded the young scion of the Uchiha family with fondness. Sasuke was always polite. After he got his driver's license, he rarely needed Nagisawa to take him anywhere.

"Always a pleasure Sasuke-san," the driver replied. "Your mother requested Toyama to take her and your father this evening so I will drive you and Haruno-san at the end of the night."

"Would you like me to smuggle some cake out?"

Nagisawa laughed. When Sasuke was seven, he snuck a piece of cake out of a party and gave it to Nagisawa when he got in the car. Sasuke continued to do so at every function he attended.

"If you'd like."

The light reflected off a piece of jewelry. "If I may be so bold to say, Sasuke-san," their eyes met in the rearview mirror. "Best of luck to you and Haruno-san. I know it's a hard decision to make, but trust me when I say you made the right one."

"Thank you," Sakura finally spoke.

The car slowed to a stop in front of the Museum of Natural History. Nagisawa opened the door for Sasuke and smiled back at his young employer. Sasuke offered a hand to help Sakura out of the car. She gave him a grateful smile as he wrapped an arm around her waist and steadied her on the sidewalk, disguising the motion for affection as they posed for the cameras.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke said in a low voice as they passed through the museum security.

"No," she admitted. "But I'm glad you're here with me."

They stepped into the room.

* * *

Author's note:

_Rainflowers_ mean "I love you back," "I must atone for my sins," and "I will never forget you." _Peach blossoms_ mean long life, generosity, and bridal hope.

Being aldehyde dehydrogenase II deficient means you have the so-called "Asian flush" syndrome.

My edits are getting fewer and fewer as the story progresses. I'm not taking that as a good sign.

Ja ne-

Callista Miralni


	5. go

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: nothing but plot. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

* * *

_It had to be a dream._

_Shaking hands with Hatake Kakashi, the famous actor, Naruto wondered if his mentor actually was intimately connected with these people. Looking cool in his pressed tuxedo, Sasuke seemed as comfortable in the suit as he did in his usual jeans and t-shirts. Naruto continuously tugged at his shirt collar, willing it to stop strangling him._

"_He's my cousin's best friend," Sasuke explained as way of an introduction for Kakashi. _

_A bell rang and Sasuke led him to a round table near the front. A man with similar features to Sasuke's smiled at him and introduced himself as Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother._

_Naruto didn't even know Sasuke had a brother._

"_Nervous?" Itachi asked kindly. "We all were when we attended our first event. You get used to it eventually."_

_He swore he wouldn't last the night._

* * *

"_You met Hatake Kakashi?" Sai asked him. "No way!"_

"_Yeah," Naruto said, smug. "He invited me on the __Koria__ set next weekend."_

"_Lucky," Sai groaned. "You have the coolest mentor ever. All Deidara-sempai does is take me to art exhibits."_

"_Aren't you a graphic arts major?"_

"_Yeah," the other man sighed. "But Deidara-sempai doesn't know anyone cool."_

_Kiba slid into the booth next to Sai. "What's up?" He greeted. _

"_Naruto got invited to the __Koria__ set by Hatake Kakashi," Sai glumly repeated._

"_You did?"_

_The light and feminine voice startled the three males. Haruno Sakura stared at them incredulously, the box in her arms filled with forms for the mentorship program. Beside her, Ino carried a similar box with colorful flyers._

"_Yeah. Sasuke and I are going to Konoha next weekend."_

_Sakura arched an eyebrow. "Really..." She dragged out the word. "Have fun then."_

_The two walked off. "What's Sakura-chan's problem?" Kiba grumbled._

"_She's probably just jealous you guys are going to the __Koria__ set to hang with Hatake Kakashi and she's not." Sai shrugged. "Do you think you can get an autograph?"_

_The next week, Sai and Kiba hounded Naruto about his __Koria__ visit during lunch. Shrugging, Naruto leaned back in his chair and said there wasn't much to talk about. _

"_They were filming an action sequence and I wasn't allowed to go many places," he explained. "But it was a pretty sweet setup."_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Where was Sasuke-kun?"_

"_He went with his brother somewhere and left me alone." Naruto twiddled his pen with his fingers. _

"_Really now?" Sakura commented mildly. "I didn't realize Uchiha Itachi was relaxed enough to let strangers on set unrelated to the production. He wouldn't let me past security when my dad was hired to be the film's attending physician."_

"_Maybe he doesn't let people who hasn't been invited by the cast in."_

"_I was bringing Chichiue __lunch__."_

_The more Naruto argued that he had special privileges and Sakura didn't, the weaker his story about his weekend became. Eventually, Sakura gave him a patronizing smile and soothed him in a sickly sweet voice, "Of course, Naruto-kun. How silly of me to think I knew what the __Koria__ set looked like."_

_Months later, when the film released, the guys went to see it. Sasuke opted to stay at home, having seen the film during the premier with his family. Kiba pestered Naruto to point out which scene he was on set for but he claimed they cut the scene._

"_Actually," Sasuke confided to Sakura when she complained about the number of pathetic lies Naruto sprouted. "Itachi-nii didn't cut anything but bad takes."_

* * *

"_Hey Saki-chan."_

_The girl ignored him, curled up in Sasuke's armchair with her novel. _

"_Saki-chan..."_

"_What?" She bit out. "I'm reading."_

_Naruto pouted. "You're so mean..."_

_Sakura sighed. "What is it, Naruto-kun?" She repeated in a less irritated voice._

"_Will you miss me when you graduate?"_

"_Nope," she replied without hesitation. "Not in the slightest."_

"_Hey! You could at least be nice enough to lie to me about it!"_

* * *

**-naruto-**

Kazuto and Ino laughed at his joke about the nun and the student in religion class when Misaki and her escort, a man he recognized as her dance partner from the last gala, sat across from him.

"Uzumaki-san," Misaki greeted. "Have you met my older brother Takashi? Takashi-nii, this is Uzumaki Naruto-san, Sasuke-san's best friend. I'm so happy to see you here tonight."

Her escort nodded at him. "Nice to meet you. Keeping Ino-san under check?"

"Hey!" His friend bristled. "I'll have you know, Takashi-nii, that I'm the one who keeps Naruto-kun in line, not the other way around. If I didn't keep him under control, Sakura-chan would have been suffocated to death by now."

Takashi laughed. "I bet Saki-chan wishes she were dead right now. Sucks to be her."

Glaring at her brother, Misaki pinched him in the arm. "Have some compassion," she scolded "It's partially your fault as to why Sakura-chan's in this situation."

"If that's the case, then it's your fault too, Misa," Takashi shrugged. "We happened to be blessed by being old."

Ino had an uneasy expression on her face once the siblings started discussing Sakura. "Umm... what exactly is going on tonight?"

Naruto leaned forward. He wondered the same thing, ever since Sasuke bought the ring.

"You'll see," Kazuto answered cryptically.

* * *

Naruto spotted Sasuke seated next to Sakura with their parents at a table across the room. He tried to make eye contact with either one of them throughout dinner but they were too engrossed with their conversations to look around the room. They were joined by one of Kazuto's classmates, filling up the table, and spent the evening trading stories.

During dessert and coffee, Haruno Kizashi and Uchiha Mikoto took the podium.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen," Haruno Kizashi-san began. "Thank you so much for joining us this evening."

The room quieted to hear his next words. Naruto traded bewildered glances with Ino.

"First, we'd like to inform you on the success of our last charity gathering. Five weeks ago, you raised almost two million dollars to help struggling clinics bring better healthcare to impoverished areas throughout Southern Hi no Kuni."

Applause thundered through the room. Naruto couldn't believe how much money was raised at the last gala. How much did these people have to spend?

"Tonight, we have a few announcements we'd like to share with you."

Uchiha Mikoto-san took over. "First of all, it is my pleasure to announce the partnership between Bistouri Medical and Vista Heights Medical Center. As you know, Bistouri is primarily a research lab who does a lot of labwork for surrounding hospitals. It is our hope that by partnering together, we can still continue to bring you the best healthcare at a reduced cost."

The room erupted in applause again. Haruno-san waited until it died down before the second announcement. "This partnership has also fostered discussion for another venture. Tonight marks the beginning of the Coeur Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing healthcare and medical services to low-income and impoverished areas. There is a silent auction in the adjacent wing and all proceeds will go to the Coeur Foundation."

His hands began to smart. Naruto didn't understand why the others were being so secretive about tonight's events. Nothing seemed particularly extraordinary.

"Finally," Haruno-san cleared his throat. "While this may seem a bit inappropriate, we have wonderful news to share with you, our dearest friends and colleagues."

The others tensed. This was it, Naruto thought grimly. Whatever they say next, this is it.

"As you know, my daughter Sakura recently graduated and has been accepted to the Shiga Kiyoshi School of Medicine for the fall."

Mrs. Uchiha smiled. "Similarly, my son Sasuke also graduated and will be taking over Bistouri Medical when I think he's ready."

The adults laughed.

"The world works in mysterious ways," Mrs. Uchiha continued. "And-"

A loud _BOOM_ reverberated through the room, knocking people out of their chairs. Naruto caught himself on the edge of the table and turned around in time to see a dozen masked individuals enter the room with guns in hand. Smoke filled the museum.

"Get down!" Takashi yelled. "Crawl under the tables and head for the exit."

People screamed as shots were fired. The security team moved in, desperate to protect the guests while capturing the intruders.

Naruto didn't hesitate. Pulling Ino along with him, he moved as fast as he could on his knees towards the emergency exit. If memory served him right, the stairs beyond the door lead straight to the lower parking area where he left his car.

"Sakura-chan!" Ino screamed. "_Sakura-chan!_"

Turning around, Naruto saw their other two friends running across the room. _Stupid!_ Naruto wanted to yell. _You're going to be shot!_

A bullet ricocheted off the wall and landed in front of his hand. Instinctively, Naruto jumped up, yanking Ino with him. His eyes widened when he saw one of the shooters aim towards him and pull the trigger.

The cold metal door hit his back as Sasuke tackled the three of them through the emergency exit. "Move!" He hissed. "They already realized we escaped."

They ran down the stairs and into the parking lot. Fishing his car keys out of his pocket, Naruto almost hit the unlock button but Sakura's hand closed around his. "Don't!" She warned. "It'll make a sound and they'll know where we are."

He inserted the key into the lock and turned twice, quietly unlocking the doors. "Lights off until I say so," Sasuke instructed as Naruto started the car. "Whatever happens, don't stop driving."

Naruto nodded. "What about the gate?" He asked as he backed out of the space.

"It opens automatically but it takes a couple seconds. Think we can risk it?" Sakura mentioned.

"We have no other choice if they start shooting," Sasuke warned as he fastened his seatbelt. "Buckle up."

They made it to the gate, headlights off, without incident. Just as the bar began to rise, a loud shout announced their whereabouts followed by the sound of running feet.

"Go, go, go!" Sasuke shouted. "Drive like you're Vin Diesel in _Fast and Furious_!"

The Acura RSX barely cleared the bar as it shot forward. 75 on the city streets. He'd never have a valid excuse to drive that fast in the city ever again.

"Where to?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura quietly said. "I have it."

Naruto wondered if the secrecy would ever stop.

"Konoha Airport," his best friend finally said. "And turn your headlights on."


	6. roku

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: plot mine. Characters, not so much. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

* * *

_Ino and Sasuke worked on campus together as desk personnel at the graduate housing center. Sometimes, Sasuke stayed past his shift to study in peace. For the most part, Ino was a good study partner, except when she started asking questions._

_Ino twirled around in her desk chair. "Ne, Sasuke-kun, what did you want to be when you grew up?"_

_Sasuke looked at her. "That's a secret."_

"_Not fair! You told Sakura-chan!"_

"_And Sakura obviously did not tell you since you're asking me."_

"_Why not? I can keep a secret."_

_Sasuke snorted. "Can you? The last time I told you anything remotely personal, Hyuuga Hinata of all people came up to me and asked me if it was true that I cooked my own food rather than microwave freezer shit."_

"_That was trivial nonsense. I can prove I can keep a secret."_

_Ignoring her, he went back to his laptop._

_Her cell phone went off, an exasperated text from Sakura about Naruto pestering her yet again in the library filling the screen. Some thing tugged at her memories and Ino wondered if she was insane to voice her suspicions aloud._

"_Naruto-kun likes Sakura-chan."_

_Sasuke didn't even look up from his laptop. "What makes you think that?"_

_Suddenly, bringing it up seemed like a bad idea. "Just... the way he's constantly talking about her, hovering around her, and trying to catch her attention. He's mellowed out since his freshman year thanks to your influence as his mentor but he's matured even more in the past year since he and Sakura-chan got to know each other as friends."_

_Pushing away his laptop, Sasuke regarded her with a probing stare. "Does anyone else think the same way you do?"_

"_Don't be stupid. Everyone is thinking it, Sakura-chan especially. She thinks by acting like a bitch, she'll get him to give up on her."_

_Sasuke leaned back. "As always, nothing escapes you, Ino."_

* * *

"_Why did you call me here in the middle of the night?" Sasuke grumbled as he stepped over the threshold to her apartment._

_Ino didn't even wait for him to slip off his shoes. Seizing him by the wrist, she dragged him to the kitchen._

"_Look!" She giggled. "Studying has finally triumphed over Sakura-chan!"_

_Sasuke wanted to throw Ino off her balcony. She woke him up in the middle of the night just to see Sakura drool over her notes?_

_A flash of numbers caught his eye. 12:30 AM. For once, Sasuke wanted to sleep at ten and wake up at seven-thirty like everyone else in the universe. Would there ever be a night when he wouldn't be up until two am?_

_No, because people like Yamanaka Ino would drag him out of bed and halfway across En for the __stupidest__ reasons._

_The clock changed. 12:31 AM. _

_Suddenly, Sasuke knew why the whole situation seemed bizarre. In two steps, he was in front of Sakura and placed a hand on her forehead._

"_She's burning up," Sasuke hissed at her best friend. "How could you not notice she was sick?"_

_Ino's mischievous expression morphed into concern. "Sakura-chan __never__ gets sick. Everyone else does."_

_Brusquely, Sasuke knelt by her and slid her off the chair into his arms. "Pack her stuff," he commanded. "We're taking her home."_

* * *

_Sasuke stopped in front of her. "I need a favor," he said slowly._

_Ino pushed aside her computer. "Shoot."_

"_Pick up this order for me? I have to go to Konoha for something this weekend."_

_Opening the paper he slid towards her, Ino looked at the pick-up time and date. It was set for three pm on Friday—she would be out of class by then._

"_Sure thing." She smiled at him. "Do I need to pay for it?"_

_Sasuke shook his head. "Thanks. I'll make it up to you."_

_Friday at lunch, Ino hugged Sasuke goodbye and laughed at his discomfort with her open affection. Sakura shook her head in amusement, waving goodbye to him as she sipped on her smoothie. _

_When the time came, Ino walked into the shop alone. "Hi, I'm picking up something for Uchiha Sasuke-san?"_

_The shopkeeper nodded in recognition. "Make sure you refrigerate this as soon as possible," she warned. "It'll spoil and melt."_

_Ino had an idea what the order was but she was completely unprepared for the large arrangement of fruit skewers mixed with an assortment of chocolate dipped fruits._

_The clerk wrapped it in plastic and offered to carry it to her car. Dazed, Ino mutely agreed, holding the door open and hurrying to unlock her car._

"_Did... did Uchiha-san happen to mention what this was for?" Ino asked before the clerk went back inside._

_The woman paused. "I believe he said it was for someone's birthday. We're closed this weekend for a health and safety inspection, which is why we had him pick it up today."_

_Someone's birthday? A quick glance at her watch reminded her of the date. Ino smiled broadly._

"_I see. Thank you so much for your help!"_

_She couldn't wait to see the look on Sakura's face when she delivers Sasuke's gift to her._

* * *

**-sakura-**

Digging through her purse, Sakura found the emergency cell phone. "Turn off your phone, Sasuke-kun," she reminded him as she did the same with her own phone.

The white iPhone lit up as she turned it on. Dialing a number memorized since childhood, she prayed he would pick up.

"Hello?"

"It's ready, right?"

The other person on the end of the line paused. "You know on nights like this we're ready to leave at any moment."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "We're almost there."

"See you soon Saki-chan."

Ino looked at her curiously. "Should I turn off my phone as well?"

Sakura nodded. "Your name was on the guest list. They'll be tracking all our cell phones."

"What the hell is going on? How can you be so calm about this?"

Sakura never knew her best friend to be prone to hysterics. "It's a precaution," Sakura explained. "A long time ago, the same thing happened. We were too young to attend galas so our aunt got into her car, went to Konoha, and took off in her helicopter to the safe house."

Naruto pulled into the Konoha Municipal Airport. "Head towards the private airstrip," she instructed before continuing with her story. "Since then, our family had a plan of action if the same thing ever happened again. We keep a helicopter ready for take off at the hangar for situations like this. Each of us have an emergency cell phone registered under our middle names and our mother's maiden name and we don't turn it on until we're clear of the danger zone. The safe house is the last place anyone would look for us since it's under a pseudonym. Park at hanger four."

A young man stood by the stairs. He waved for the gates to shut after they passed through. Sakura got out the car and ran into his arms.

"Kankuro-nii," she breathed her cousin's name out. "It's awful. There were so many of them with guns and smoke. My parents, Takashi-nii, Misa-nee, and Kazu are all still there."

Kankuro placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I'm sure everything is under control. I'll take you guys to the safe house and come back to handle the situation."

He led them to the roof and ushered them inside the helicopter. "Buckle up," he instructed. "I'm Kankuro, Sakura's cousin. I'm afraid the formalities will have to wait once this is over. Saki-chan, Temari is waiting with a cart for you. Sasuke-san-" Kankuro handed him a black bag. "-you'll need this."

He climbed into the pilot's seat and started the engine. "How does he know you?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"Long story," Sasuke replied as he unzipped the bag and pulled out a handgun. Checking it over, he loaded the cartridge and engaged the safety before placing it in his waistband.

"All clear for take off," a voice said. "Your flight's been blacked out, Sunano."

Sakura closed her eyes as they flew across the sea.

* * *

The helicopter touched ground. "Firma terra," Kankuro announced.

Sasuke lifted her out of the helicopter before doing the same to Ino. Sakura shivered in the cool air before straightening her back and approaching the woman waiting for them.

"_Itoko_," she whispered in her ear as she held Sakura tightly. "I'm so glad you are safe."

Sakura breathed in the familiar and comforting scent of Armani Code, Temari's favorite perfume. "Temari-nee," she could feel the hysterics creeping in. "My parents-"

"Hush," her cousin scolded her. "Take the keys. You know your way. I will go with Kankuro-nii to handle the situation. You have the phone, _ne_?"

"Yes, but I'm so scared-"

"Shh." Temari put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "It will be alright. I will call you, okay? There are clothes you can change into and hot chocolate waiting in the kitchen."

Pressing the keys into her hand, Temari gave her a reassuring smile. She turned to Sasuke, kissed both his cheeks, and squeezed his shoulder. "Look out for them, Sasuke-san."

He nodded. Satisfied by his silent promise, Temari climbed into the co-pilot's seat. The helicopter took to the air, speeding back to the coast.

"Where are we?" Ino finally asked.

Sakura led them towards the ride Temari left for them. "Uzushio Island," she replied as she slid into the driver's seat of the golf cart. "Come on. I don't like being here at night."

Ino slid into the seat next to her. "Saki, I'm scared."

She berated herself for being selfish. Of course Ino was scared; no one expects this kind of thing to happen during a party. Sakura always mentally prepared for the worst each time she put on a dress and donned a pair of heels. It was foolish to expect Ino to do the same.

"I know," she softly reassured her as they drove down the mountain. "Me too."

* * *

The lights were on in the front yard and Sakura mentally thanked Temari for her consideration. At least, it felt like she was arriving home after a long trip instead of fleeing to safety.

"Woah," Naruto said as they parked in the carport next to the massive house. "I know you guys have money, but this is ridiculous."

Sakura choked out a laugh. Fumbling with the keys, she found the right one for the front door and ushered them inside. "Takashi-nii and Kazuto's rooms are down the hall," she said. "Help yourself to their closets. Ino-chan, come downstairs with me. We'll meet back in the kitchen."

The men traipsed down the hall. Sakura waited until she heard them rummaging through Takashi's drawers before leading Ino down the stairs to her room. Flicking on the light, Sakura moved to the dresser and dug through it for comfortable clothes. She tossed Ino a t-shirt and a pair of shorts before pointing her to the bathroom. Locking herself in the closet, Sakura too changed into comfortable clothes, remembering at the last minute to pull a hooded sweatshirt off a hanger and throwing it on.

"Bathroom's open, Sakura-chan," Ino's voice echoed through the door.

Pulling it open, Sakura saw Ino had already removed her makeup and jewelry. She walked into the bathroom and did the same. Her hand felt strangely light without the weight of jewelry on it but the ring looked foreign on her. Sakura tucked it into her pocket in case she changed her mind.

Naruto handed her a cup of hot chocolate. "What a night," he murmured as he sank into the living room couch.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this," Sakura said.

Waving her off, Naruto gave her a light smile. "If anything, I got to speed through the city and not get pulled over. I'll never be able to do that again."

Sasuke turned on the TV and the news came on. Temari must have been watching it before they landed at the airport.

"We have a critical situation at the Museum of Natural History. A team of armed terrorists are holding the entire museum hostage. Tonight marks an important night for CEO of Bistouri Medical, Uchiha Mikoto, and Vista Heights Medical Center owner and CEO, Haruno Kizashi, as they announced a permanent partnership between their institutions and the opening of the Coeur Foundation. It has been an hour since shots were first fired at the Museum and the terrorists have made no demands yet. Reporter Sakaki Risa is live on the scene."

The camera switched to a young woman standing across the street from the museum. They saw the street blocked off and filled with police and Special Defense vehicles. An ANBU van pulled up behind her. The outside lights were still on.

"Thanks Ryuugazaki-san," Sakaki said. "As you can see, the entire Museum is on lockdown. Teams attempting to enter the building have been thwarted. So far, we have thirty injured and no fatalities."

A commotion from the front door of the museum drew all eyes. Sakura's heart lurched when she saw Kazuto dragged to the steps and forced to his knees.

"This is a child," the masked terrorist drawled through a megaphone. "And the best kind of human shield."

The camera zoomed in to the steps. With horror, Sakura saw blood dripping down her brother's face coming from a cut near his temple.

_He could have a concussion or worse!_

"We don't care about your silly auction, your money, or jewels. We're here for one thing and we won't stop until we find it."

The terrorist addressed Kazuto. "Boy, tell me where it is. Hand it over and this entire situation disappears."

Kazuto spat a mouthful of blood at his feet. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Frowning, he pulled a gun out from his waist. He cocked the gun and fired.

"Kazuto!" Sakura screamed. "Oh my God, Kazuto!"

Naruto was everywhere—hands tangled in her hair, rubbing her back, arms locked around her tight. She struggled against him, screaming for her brother into his shirt.

"Sakura-chan, he's okay. Wounded, but alive."

Those words calmed her down. She felt Naruto's grip loosen and she pushed him off, running downstairs and outside. Taking in deep breaths of air, Sakura hated herself for running away. She should have grabbed Kazuto when she had the chance.

Before, the ring in her pocket felt heavy with duty. Now, the weight of remorse made it impossible to carry. She drew it out, intending to throw it off the mountain, but she paused.

_A lifetime of happiness_.

Instead, Sakura slipped it on her finger.

* * *

Author's note:

In Japan, fruit is very expensive so a fruit arrangement like the one Sasuke ordered for her birthday would be extremely costly.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	7. nana

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: nothing but plot. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

Alas, this was extremely difficult to write in the original. Perhaps my edits at the beginning will help make sense of the entire thing.

* * *

"_Uzumaki!"_

_Naruto and Sakura stopped as a classmate jogged towards them. "I'm glad I finally caught up to you," Morino Idate exclaimed. "I've been chasing after you since you passed through the Quad."_

_Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ara? You have? Sorry about that Morino. You should have yelled louder."_

"_I've been yelling. You're just too caught up with the pretty girl you're with. Morino Idate by the way. What's your name?"_

_Sakura returned the bow. "Haruno Sakura," she answered stiffly. "I'm a friend."_

_Idate's eyes widened at her name. "Haruno Sakura? As in __the__ Haruno Sakura?"_

"_I didn't realize my name was known outside of the classroom," Sakura replied wryly. _

"_Everyone knows who you are," Idate babbled. "You're the pride of this institution, along with Uchiha Sasuke. Is it true Senjuu Tsunade offered to mentor you through medical school?"_

_Sakura stiffened. "It's true."_

_Naruto threw an arm around her shoulders. "Isn't she awesome?" He grinned. "We're going to get married."_

"_Su-ge." Idate's eyes were wide with admiration. "Uzumaki, I didn't realize you hung around such accomplished people. Uchiha-san's your mentor and Haruno-san is your girlfriend. How did you get all the good karma?"_

_Sakura wiggled out of Naruto's hold. "He's being stupid," she said sharply. "We're not dating, we're just friends. Naruto-kun can't get that through his thick skull. If you will excuse me, I have somewhere to be."_

_Without another word, Sakura stormed off to the student union, their intended destination. _

"_Ano..."_

_Naruto sighed. "Isn't she mean?" He said with a fond smile. "Don't let her tough act fool you—Sakura-chan's the kindest person alive."_

_Idate sweatdropped. Is this what they mean when they say love is blind?_

* * *

_It had been gnawing on her thoughts since graduation. Ino had to know what was going on. Picking up her cell phone, she composed a text and sent it to six different people._

_Has Sakura-chan been acting weird lately?_

_Hinata replied first. __She hasn't been online lately but I'm sure she's busy preparing for med school. Why?_

_Tenten answered second. __Weird how? Saki-chan's always weird._

_It's summer. Sakura-chan's usually never around during the summer.__ Karin shrugged off her query._

_Sai's response made her twitch. __Not anymore than usual. Are you crazy Ino-chan?_

_Kiba's direct response made her question her choice in friends. __Nope._

_However, Sasuke's answer surprised her the most._

_Wouldn't you be acting different while you're in the midst of a life-changing transition?_

_Of course she was overreacting, Ino tried to assure herself. Aside from getting married, graduation was the biggest event in their young lives. It marked the passage from a comfortable student life to the fast-paced corporate world._

_Why did she still feel so uneasy?_

* * *

"_Hahaue."_

_Mebuki turned around and saw her eldest daughter standing in the doorway of her office. How unusual for Misaki to be visiting at this time. Usually, Kizashi kept their children busy in the office._

_While Sakura was groomed to take over the hospital from a clinician's standpoint, Takashi was trained in healthcare administration and handled the business section of the hospital. Misaki, with her degree in marketing and public relations, handled all the PR work for the hospital and the family's charity foundations. It was expected that Kazuto would manage the foundation when he graduated._

"_Take a seat," Mebuki gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "It's not every day you come to visit me."_

_Gracefully, Misaki sank into the chair. "I'm sure you're busy," she began. "So forgive me for being direct Hahaue."_

_Misaki hardly asked for forgiveness. She was always the type who did what she wanted, consequences be damned. This simple statement piqued Mebuki's interest and she set her case file aside._

"_Why are you doing this to Sakura?" Misaki's piercing jade eyes simmered with anger. "You never did this to Takashi-nii or me, so why subject her to this? Why are you and Chichiue always so harsh on her?"_

_So this is what this was about. Misaki would never understand, even if she bothered to explain their reasons. It was best to let her draw her own conclusions, false as they were._

_It would only make the charade easier._

"_Sakura shows the most potential. You were gifted with beauty-"_

_Misaki flinched. She hated the reoccurring comment. Didn't anyone else see how beautiful Sakura was?_

"_-but Sakura can __heal__. She was born to take over the hospital and she can only do so with this arrangement. Do not interfere with this Misaki. I will make sure you regret it with every fiber of your being if you do."_

_Of all her children, Misaki looked the most like her. The gods, however, decided to have their fun and molded Misaki to be her entire opposite._

"_I won't regret anything," Misaki replied softly. "I wonder if it is you who will feel remorse when Sakura's life collapses around her five years from now and there's no one else to blame but you and Chichiue."_

_Without another word, Misaki got up and left Mebuki to her thoughts. The woman smoothed the tension from her face, staring at the door to her office.  
_

_"You're a fool, Misaki, if you haven't realized how much your sister loves him."_

* * *

**-ino-**

She could only see Sakura's back from the doorway.

"Hey," Ino called out to her. "Are you okay?"

The other woman didn't turn around. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself tighter. "Yeah. I'll live."

Her choice of words unsettled Ino, but she wasn't about to let Sakura know that. "Temari-san called," she informed her, taking a seat on the edge of the deck. "They're in the middle of negotiations with the terrorists. She's inside the building and agreed to help him find whatever they're looking for in exchange for Kazuto-kun's safety. He's with the paramedics right now being treated for his wounds."

"What happens if they don't find it?"

The sound of crickets filled the gap. Neither one could say what would happen if whatever they were looking for was not found.

"And to think," Ino attempted to be humorous. "My biggest concern for the evening is why everyone was being so secretive."

Sakura tensed again.

"We were so close to finding out too! But then... all that happened. Sakura-chan, you know, right? Will you tell me?"

Facing her, Sakura's lips were taut. "Ino-chan, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh come on!" The woman needled. "It's not like I'm going to tell anybody. Who is there for me to tell? I can't even get on facebook and announce it to the world."

"Ino-chan, you can't announce it to the world. It's a big deal-"

"So just tell me already," she said impatiently. "I thought we were friends. Best friends even."

"We _are_ best friends. I just can't tell you."

"You know," Ino narrowed her eyes. "You won't even talk to me anymore. Sakura-chan, you know you can trust me but you _don't._ If this is how you're going to be, maybe we shouldn't be frien-"

"I'm engaged!" Sakura exploded. "I'm engaged and there's nothing you can do or say about it. I'm getting married in October and I'm not even in love. My mother's been planning my wedding since I came home from school and I've been playing pretend with Uchiha Sasuke to make it seem voluntary and not an arranged marriage."

Sakura turned away from her quickly, shoulders shaking. Ino was glad she was already sitting down or else her knees would have given out from under her.

"Engaged?" She repeated weakly. "To Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes," Sakura confirmed, wiping her tears away. "To Sasuke-kun."

The door slammed shut and Ino turned around to come face to face with the one person she knew would not take the news of her engagement well.

Naruto.

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he could hear every word Sakura screamed at Ino. Naruto was already at the door, holding it open, before he stepped outside.

"Is it true?" Naruto asked as Sasuke slid the door open. "Are you really engaged to Sasuke?"

Sakura whispered his name. "Don't... don't do this."

"What am I doing?" Naruto said bitterly. "It's not like I bared my heart to you again and again. Did you and Sasuke have fun making me look like an idiot? A girl like you, deprived of attention because of her beautiful older sister Misaki, relished in the attention I gave. I bet you had fun stringing me along."

"Naruto-kun, stop it," Ino demanded. "Don't do this right now."

"No, we need to do this now," Naruto snapped. "What would have happened if the announcement happened at the party like it was supposed to? You would have gotten a good laugh at humiliating me."

Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, it's not her fault."

"You're right," he replied, facing him. "There's also you."

His head reeled back as Naruto punched him in the jaw. Ino screamed. Gingerly, Sasuke touched his jaw and wasn't surprised to find it tender to the touch.

"I trusted you!" Naruto yelled. "You knew I was serious about Sakura-chan; why the fuck would you pull a stunt like this? You were supposed to be my best friend."

Wincing, Sasuke glared at him. "You, serious about Sakura? Don't make me laugh. Infatuated, I'd believe, but you don't love her. You don't love anybody but yourself."

"I love her!"

"Get real, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled back. "I'm your best friend; I know you better than anybody else. You love the attention Sakura brings you. You love the rise in status, the prestige that comes with being associated with her. You think I wanted to invite you out to those parties this summer, even though I knew you would act like a jealous jackass? Do you think the one choice I was allowed to have for my goddamn wedding I wanted to waste on you? I was going to ask you to be my best man, to stand by me at that altar as my brother, but I see my choice was wasted on a fool."

He didn't need to see Naruto's face to know his words hurt him, true as they may be. Shepherding Sakura and Ino inside, Sasuke paused at the door to say one last thing to him.

"You may not like being stuck on this island with us, but I'm glad you're here safe."


	8. hachi

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: Hmm... plot mine. Everything else, not so much. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

* * *

"_Quit sulking. You look stupid."_

_Sakura was about to lunge forward, tackle him to the ground, and strangle him for his thoughtless comment but Sasuke dangled an apple in front of her face._

"_... what's the apple for?"_

_He sighed and dropped it into her hand before pulling another one from his bag. Taking a bite, he chewed quietly for a moment before walking away, still eating the apple in his hand._

"_Where are you going?"_

_At first, Sakura thought he wasn't going to answer._

"_They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. I'm testing if it actually works."_

_She almost chased after him, tackled him to the ground, and strangled him for his thoughtless comment._

"_UCHIHA SASUKE-KUN!"_

_The wind carried the rare sound of his soft laughter to her ears and she sank back down on the bench._

_In his own roundabout way, he told her he was confident she would become a doctor. Sakura slid the apple into her bag and hoisted it over her shoulder, determined to live up to Sasuke's expectations for her._

"_You're the idiot Sasuke-kun. You can't get rid of me by eating apples every day."_

_Her smile dimmed. Why did the thought of leaving Sasuke behind hurt? Nothing in this world lasts forever—even the few friends she made in college were not meant to stay in her life._

"_You are so annoying. Now what are you sulking about?"_

_She blinked. Sasuke had an expectant look on his face, as if he were about to ask why she was wasting his time by standing in one place when he clearly meant for her to follow after him earlier. Why did he come back for her?_

"_Nothing," Sakura lied, linking her arm through his. "Let's go to the library together!" _

* * *

"_Hey, what's your name?"_

_Coolly, Sakura lifted her chin. "Haruno."_

_The man laughed and the stench of Jaeger filled her nose. "Don't be stingy. What's your first name?"_

_Irritated, Sakura slid off the bar stool and walked away. He reached through the crowd and grasped her wrist, pulling her towards him._

"_Let me go!"_

"_Not until you give me your name."_

"_Oi."_

_She had never been so relieved to see Sasuke in her life._

"_You should let her go," he said softly. "You'll regret it if you don't."_

"_Stay out of this. This is between me and my girl so fuck off."_

"_Your girl?" Sasuke gave him a condescending smirk. "You're a horrible boyfriend for not even knowing your girlfriend's name. Learn to tell better lies."_

_The man roared and swung his fist. Sasuke ducked and grabbed Sakura by the hand, effortlessly dragging her out of the crowd. Kiba caught the incoming punch and kneed the offender in the chest, sparking a bar fight._

"_Should we stop them?" Sakura worried on her lip._

_He squeezed her hand tighter before turning around and saying something to the bartender. Sakura couldn't hear over the shouts and yells ten feet away from her._

"_Let's go."_

* * *

"_I know you're quiet, but this is ridiculous, Sakura-chan."_

_Her head snapped up. "Sorry Ino-chan," she replied with a touch of guilt. "There's a lot going on at home."_

_Ino plopped down next her on her bed. "I'll say. Three galas in one summer? What was Misa-nee thinking?"_

"_It's not her fault," Sakura defended her sister. "It's mostly because of-"_

_She shut her mouth, horrified._

"_Because of?" Ino prompted her._

"_Chichiue," Sakura fumbled for words. "He's got a lot of big plans for the hospital."_

_Her best friend seemed satisfied with the explanation._

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Sakura handed him an ice pack wrapped in a hand towel. Applying it to his face, Sasuke winced again as the ice came in contact with his heated skin.

"Let me see." Sakura's fingers were gentle as she studied the swollen skin. He took this opportunity to watch her closely.

He always thought Sakura was pretty in an understated sort of way. She wasn't noticeable like Misaki, who turned heads everywhere she went, and she wasn't the typical kind of girl found on the magazine covers like Ino. No matter how gorgeous she looked in evening wear, Sasuke preferred her in casual clothes with her hair tied up, ready to plunge her hands into a rat's still-warm body to perform a dissection.

"You'll bruise for sure," she announced. "Keep ice on it to lessen the swelling. It might not discolor too badly if you do."

"Is that your final prognosis, Haruno-sensei?" He couldn't help but tease her.

She scowled and grumbled less-than-complimentary names for him under her breath but Sasuke knew better than to take her seriously. He knew she appreciated his confidence in her ability to make it through medical school and become a successful physician.

"Keep ice on it and let Naruto-kun cool off," she said before retreating to the living room to talk to Ino.

He lazily saluted her with his free hand.

* * *

**-naruto-**

He felt like an ass and he knew his behavior in the last thirty minutes said as much. Naruto closed his eyes and tried to sort through his thoughts.

He should have trusted his intuition. All the signs were there—why couldn't he just _listen_ for once? Sasuke's description of the woman he bought that ring for pointed only to Sakura. They had been spending a lot of time together this summer.

Didn't Sakura say something about an arranged marriage? Naruto felt a little better knowing Sasuke didn't betray him voluntarily, but there were still so many questions. How long have they been engaged? Is this a recent development or was he right in accusing Sakura of stringing him along for the last two years?

Guilt set in. Sasuke was a lot of things—self-assured, painfully honest, and spoiled—but he was also loyal to a fault. When Naruto drunkenly confided his romantic interest in Sakura eight months ago, Sasuke had been surprised but encouraged him to tell Sakura the truth. If they were engaged then, Sasuke wouldn't have said something like that.

He probably would have shot his dreams down then by confessing their relationship.

The night wind picked up and dirt settled into the microscopic abrasions on his knuckles. Naruto rubbed his hand but the pain would not leave. Heading upstairs to the kitchen for ice meant facing the others and apologizing for his behavior.

Pain flared again in his knuckles. With a sigh, Naruto slid the the door open and locked it behind him.

* * *

**-ino-**

Sitting on the sofa with her knees drawn up to her chest, Ino finally asked the question weighing on her thoughts.

"How long have you guys been engaged?"

Beside her, Sakura wrapped herself in a duvet. "Since graduation. When Chichiue took us out to lunch at Main Street, it was to tell us about the engagement. Everyone agreed not to speak of it until the formal announcement during the summer."

"I can only imagine what your reaction was."

"I almost walked out," Sakura confessed. "Sasuke-kun handled it so well but I was about ready to start scream obscenities at my parents. They never did this to Misaki-nee or Takashi-nii, and I still can't understand why they're doing this to me."

Ino shook her head. "Think about it," she advised. "You and Sasuke-kun have known each other for four years. He's the only boy either of us talk about on a regular basis. You guys have a lot in common and your parents think you'd be a good match. Maybe they were trying to help you?"

Even to her, it sounded far-fetched.

"I love Sasuke-kun, but not the way a woman should love her fiancé." Sakura's voice cracked. "I love that he makes me laugh when I'm having a bad day; I love the encouragement he gives me and how he constantly motivates me to reach for something better. Sasuke-kun is everything a girl wants—he's considerate, protective, loyal... I'm stupid for thinking I can find someone better than him because I know there will never be anyone who could compare."

Sakura looked so miserable, it was hard to be angry with her for keeping an important secret.

"I wanted to tell you, but I _couldn't,_" the other woman choked out. "There were so many times I almost let it slip out but one look at Sasuke-kun reminded me why I had to keep my mouth shut. My parents don't really do anything to warrant being published in the tabloids but Uchiha Fugaku-san's a famous movie director and everyone's waiting for Sasuke-kun to screw up." Tears fell down her face. "I'm not ready to get married, Ino-chan!"

Ino rubbed her back, soothing her distraught best friend as she cried into her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Sasuke standing by the window with the pack of ice pressed to his cheek. She didn't even hear or see him come in.

"And you?" She directed her line of questions to him. "How are you handling this?"

Sasuke checked his swelling face in the window reflection before setting the ice pack down on the coffee table and taking a seat next to Sakura. "What can I do?" For once, he sounded frustrated. "I don't want to get married now either but I'll tell you the same thing I told Sakura when we found out we were engaged: out of all the eligible women my parents could have picked, I'm glad they chose her."

Sakura's tears subsided and Ino rested her head on top of hers. "What a mess," she murmured. "We've been shot at, flown across the ocean fleeing for our lives, you two are engaged, and it turns out all of Naruto's propositions and love declarations were serious. I should have walked away from you after you spilled coffee down my shirt freshman year."

Sasuke's soft chuckle made her grin as well.

"Can I see it?"

"What? The ring? You'll have to ask Sakura."

Withdrawing her hand from under the covers, Sakura held up her hand for Ino. The woman gasped when she saw the engagement ring. It was a beautiful setting in white gold, with flowers bordering the brilliant, round-cut white sapphire and a wave of tiny diamonds framing the jewel. It was perfect for Sakura and she couldn't believe Sasuke had such good taste.

"I didn't pick it out," Sasuke admitted. "The saleswoman asked me describe who I was buying it for and she handed me this. I didn't even look at the price because I knew Sakura would love it."

"I don't even want to know," Sakura answered blandly before a yawn escaped her mouth. "It's one of his works, isn't it?"

Sasuke tugged her off the couch. "Bedtime for you." He ushered her to Kazuto's room. "I can handle you tired, I can handle you upset, but I can't handle you tired and upset. You too, Ino."

She protested to being sent to bed like a child but a yawn interrupted her tirade. "Fine," she conceded. "Wake us up if something happens."

* * *

**-sasuke-**

"I know you've been standing there listening."

Naruto emerged from the darkened stairwell. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Sasuke snorted, settling back into the couch with a cup of coffee. "Quite frankly, with Sakura crying her eyes out and Ino scrutinizing everything, I didn't want to deal with your misplaced anger on top of it."

The other man sat on the other end of the sofa, grabbing the half-melted bag of ice and placing it on the hand he used to punch Sasuke.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said quietly. "I wasn't thinking."

"Clearly," Sasuke retorted. "I've got a nice bruise to prove it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Naruto squirming. He was playing with his fingers, like he always did when trying to find the words to get him out of sticky situations.

"I suppose I should say congratulations on your engagement," Naruto finally offered. "Though, I'm not even sure if that's the right thing to say."

"You know I wouldn't date her behind your back," Sasuke insisted. "You're my best friend. Even if I did like her, I still wouldn't ask her out."

Heartfelt talks were not his strong suit yet Sasuke found himself having these conversations frequently as of late.

"I know." Naruto relaxed into the sofa.

They sat in silence.

"For what it's worth, I think you guys would be good together."

Surprised, Sasuke set down his coffee. For Naruto to say that, it was a close to a blessing he would ever get.

Naruto didn't always like Sakura. At first, her quick and intelligent comebacks were hard to understand and harder to stomach once he understood their meaning. Her obvious disinterest in him as a person was rude, even by Sasuke's low standards.

It would take another year before Sasuke understood why Sakura regarded Naruto with disinterest from the moment they were introduced. She saw through his bullshit, removed the hype he tended to elevate himself with, and deemed him a hopeless case of egotism and narcissism from the moment he opened his mouth.

They say first impressions should never be trusted but Sakura was always right.

Eventually, Naruto mellowed out. He quit trying to impress people with exaggerations. Many chalked it up to Sasuke's influence on his life; after all, Sasuke loved adventure and often brought Naruto with him. Why tell a lie when he actually had the experience?

Sometime during his junior year, Naruto fell in love.

Sasuke knew even before Naruto's drunken confession. The closer he and Sakura were to graduating, the tighter Naruto clung to them. All he talked about was working with Sasuke and marrying Sakura—the only ways Naruto thought would keep their lives intertwined. It was ironic, Sasuke thought. The more Naruto clung to them, the more they wanted to push him away.

Once, Sasuke asked Sakura why she never gave Naruto a chance.

"If I did," she answered with a bitter smile. "He would take all of me without a second thought. Naruto-kun's too selfish."

"I thought girls liked guys who were devoted."

"He's not devoted!" Sakura snapped. "He suffocates me. Even as friends, he's overbearing and constantly scrutinizing every aspect of my life. I just want to breathe!"

That was almost six months ago.

"Thanks, man," Sasuke finally replied. "That means a lot."

* * *

An hour later, Sakura's cell phone rang.

"Kankuro," Sasuke answered the FaceTime call.

Sakura's cousin wore a grim expression. "The ANBU figured out what they're after," he reported. "It's a stone. Apparently, someone at the party is in possession of it."

"There's five hundred people in that room and almost all of them are wearing jewelry," Sasuke protested. "How can they expect Temari to go through every single piece?"

"I don't know," Kankuro answered. "She hasn't checked in."

A commotion behind Kankuro drew their attention. An ANBU agent handed him a sheet and took off. Kankuro frowned at the piece of paper. "Well that's helpful," he snapped. "Apparently it's in a ring but every single guest is wearing one."

"Do you have a picture?"

Kankuro held up the paper. "It's a shitty sketch but it looks like a woman's ring to me."

Sasuke and Naruto scrutinized the screen. "Hey Sasuke, doesn't that look like the ring you bought your mom?"

"No way," was his immediate reply. "My mom's ring had a square cut jewel on—oh shit."

"You know where it is?" Kankuro demanded.

Sasuke raked his hand through his hair. "Yeah. You're not going to like the answer."


	9. kyuu

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: the plot only. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

The next three chapters were the most difficult to write. I'm not very good with action and suspense.

* * *

_Uchiha Itachi liked his brother's fianc__é__e. _

_She was strong and clever, always managing to worm her way out of difficult situations and find the best outcome. She was witty and made him chuckle with her sarcastic responses and heated interactions with her siblings and her brother._

_Most of all, he liked her because she made Sasuke care._

_Sasuke was the more focused of the two. From an early age, he decided to immerse himself in their mother's laboratory, her pride after the two of them. Mikoto decided to educate her curious twelve-year-old in basic biology and chemistry, a subject Itachi understood but cared little for. Obsessed, Sasuke started reading Mikoto's old college textbooks while Itachi storyboarded ideas in their father's office._

_Their paths were clear: Itachi would carry on Fugaku's vision in cinematography while Sasuke locked himself in the labs researching diseases and creating vaccines and cures._

_Sasuke's teenage years were painful. He stayed at home, constantly reading, and only left to go to school and events for their parents. He was on the kendo team because it was required to join a club at Konoha Prep and it looked good on his college applications.  
_

_Itachi was relieved when Sasuke went to university and allowed himself to socialize. Perhaps the only good outcome of his constant reading as a child was the ease of understanding all the material when presented, freeing up his time to become a student mentor, to make friends, and develop bonds._

_Uzumaki Naruto made Sasuke act like a young man on an adventure. Haruno Sakura made Sasuke care about someone else's well-being besides his own._

_For that, Itachi always felt indebted to her._

* * *

_Takashi wanted to hate him._

_It's the dogma of an older brother, right? Older brothers are supposed to hate any man who stole their little sisters' hearts. Older brothers snarl and growl at any upstart making a move on their delicate siblings._

_Older brothers are not supposed to like their little sister's fianc__é__ and help him egg her on._

_When his parents first introduced him to the man who was supposed to protect his baby sister for the rest of her life, Takashi had his reservations. Uchiha Sasuke was tacit and brooding—how on earth was bubbly yet cynical Sakura going to live in silence and one-sided conversations for the rest of her life?_

_All that changed when she passed through the room wearing baggy pants, a tank top, and a backwards hat—to him, it meant Sakura was heading upstairs to dance—and Sasuke opened his mouth to greet her._

"_Sakura." _

_All of Takashi's worst fears started to take shape. Her green eyes lit up and she smiled._

"_Sasuke-kun!"_

_His eyes surveyed her from head to toe. Takashi almost clocked him for openly checking out his sister __right in front of him__ but the Uchiha's next words stopped him._

"_What the hell are you wearing? Do you think you're tough shit yakuza?"_

_Sakura grew red in the face. "Baka Sasuke-kun! That's not what it's like at all!"_

_Takashi hid his laughter._

"_You're right," Sasuke conceded. "The Yakuza would kick you out for being so unproductive. Members have to do more than read and and botch aromatic reactions. The pathetic yields you get in the lab costs them precious income."_

"_SASUKE-KUN!"_

_He lost it. Takashi cracked up and held up a hand to hi-five the younger Uchiha. "Good one man."_

"_TAKASHI-NII! You're supposed to take my side!"_

_Later, when Takashi met his best friend and observed his interactions with Uzumaki Naruto and Ino, he concluded Sakura was special to Uchiha Sasuke. He didn't know or care to know in what way, but Takashi knew Sasuke would take care of her._

_That's all that mattered._

* * *

_When Sasuke brought home the ring, Mikoto demanded to see it. _

_She recognized the craftsmanship immediately. The tiny flowers, the set diamonds, all of it screamed Watanuki._

_Watanuki pieces are one of a kind. The family had been in the jewelry business for over one hundred years and rumor had it they crafted almost half of Hi no Kuni's crown jewels. The current star of the family, Watanuki Kyouya, was known for creating designs for the masses, not just for the elite few._

_Sasuke's engagement ring was part of a collection inspired by the famed jeweler's wife. Mikoto knew the collection reflected the many aspects of her college friend but that particular piece was the final work, the ultimate expression of love and devotion for an amazing woman._

_It was not something her youngest child would have been able to pick out by casual browsing._

"_Did Naruto-san help you pick this out?" The words left a dry feeling in her mouth._

_Mikoto knew of Naruto's feelings towards her future daughter-in-law. It came up in one of the many conversations after they announced the arrangement and was the only reservation about his upcoming marriage Sasuke voiced aloud. _

_What she really wanted to know was if Sasuke was capable of choosing a ring that expressed his own feelings towards the woman._

_Sasuke snorted. "Dobe is useless when it comes to things like this," he responded dryly. "The saleswoman asked me to describe the recipient and she handed me this."_

_Mikoto didn't know how to respond._

"_What did you say?"_

_Sasuke looked away. "That-" he closed the box. "-is none of your business, Kaa-san."_

_She suppressed a giggle and fondly ruffled his unruly hair._

* * *

**-sakura-**

Someone was shaking her and Sakura groaned before burrowing further into the covers. "G'way."

"Sakura, you need to wake up. Kankuro is on the phone and you need to see this."

Ino shifted into a sitting position next to her.

"Sakura."

Someone yanked her out of bed and Sakura felt like throwing up. "Sasuke-kun," she whined. "Let me sleep!"

"Ino said to wake you up if something happened," he reminded her. "Something happened and you're not going to like it."

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Sakura stumbled after Ino and Sasuke to the living room. Naruto had her emergency phone in his hand, frowning at the person on the screen.

"She's here," Sasuke announced brusquely to the caller.

A federal agent gave her a wane smile. "Haruno-san," he said. "It is imperative that you do not give that gemstone to the terrorists when they call you next."

That woke her up. "What stone?" Sakura asked sharply. "The only ones I know of are in my parents' safe."

"Let me tell you something about these people," the agent started over. "They're an organized crime syndicate known as Voleur."

She snickered at the name. The agent ignored her.

"They target precious metals and jewelry and sell them to the highest bidder on the black market. Armed robbery is one thing, but they use any means possible to get what they want. Right now, they are holding the Museum of Natural History hostage. Recent intelligence claims they're trying to branch out into the weaponry and counterfeit business."

"What is so important about this gem? If we give it to them, the hostage situation disappears," Sakura countered. "I fail to see what the issue is."

"The gem itself is a particularly rare piece, despite its small size. It was once a part of the Crown jewels, its clarity is almost unmatched for a sapphire and it's worth eight hundred thousand US dollars. It was supposed to be on display at the National Museum but it was stolen en route. We've been tracking it for three months."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "What do you want us to do then?"

A sharp intake of breath made her look up. "What?" She asked, annoyed.

"Is that your ring Haruno-san?"

Sakura glanced down. "It's my engagement ring."

The agent almost looked frightened. "Are you safe?"

"Do _you_ know where I am?"

"Haruno-san," he said. "Whatever you do, keep that ring safe at all costs."

The call ended abruptly and the meaning of his parting words sank in. "This is it?" Sakura whispered. "This is the reason why we're in this whole mess?"

Her left hand never felt heavier.

* * *

**-naruto-**

When Sasuke dragged Sakura out of bed, his eyes sought out her left hand. Sure enough, the ring Sasuke bought earlier that week glittered on her finger. It complimented her in every way and yet, Naruto never felt jealous.

The four sat in silence after the call ended, staring at the beautiful burden on Sakura's ring finger. How could something supposed to represent happiness bring so much grief and misery?

He supposed it had to do with the circumstances. Sasuke and Sakura were not marrying for love; their engagement was a lie and the ring was physical proof.

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't throw it down the mountain earlier," Sakura attempted to joke.

No one laughed.

"It was almost too perfect," Ino murmured. "Someone places the sapphire in the ring and it's bundled with an innocent shipment of jewelry to a specific store, probably with fake specs. Someone in particular was supposed to buy it but the salesperson was probably ignorant to that fact and sold it to Sasuke with honest intentions. I bet that's how this whole mess started."

Sakura snorted. "Why bother setting it in a ring at all? Wouldn't it be easier to take the loose stone and sell it off?"

"Maybe that was the original plan," the other woman suggested. "Maybe the ring was a failsafe is someone got caught or died while carrying it around. Besides, who is going to suspect someone wearing a ring as opposed to carrying loose gemstones in his pocket?"

"It doesn't matter." Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. "The moment those nutcases figure out we have the jewel, they'll start a manhunt to find us. We can't stay here long."

Everyone jumped when the phone rang. Temari's contact information displayed on screen.

"Hey," Sakura's cousin was calm despite the gun pointed at her temple. "We're looking for a sapphire ring. Seen it?"

One of the terrorists stepped into the frame. Discreetly, Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and slipped her ring into his pocket before she carelessly showed it off again.

"No," Naruto said in a voice stronger than what he felt. "We're broke college students. We can't afford high-end shit like that."

The terrorist didn't find that funny and shoved Temari out of her chair when she started laughing.

"You think you're funny?" He hissed. "Laugh at this."

Someone screamed in the background after he pulled the trigger and shot Temari in the leg. Sakura paled.

"You're a liar," the terrorist accused. "Our specialist has been tracing that ring and guess what he found—Uchiha Sasuke, age 22, purchased a unique, handcrafted white sapphire ring, on Tuesday. I suggest" —he cocked the gun and pointed it over his shoulder to the crowd of frightened people behind him— "you hand it over. You can either come to us or we can triangulate this signal and go to you."

"And what if we escape?" Sasuke challenged.

"You won't escape," the terrorist answered with confidence. "Beginning at dawn, we will execute ten people on the front steps of the Museum every hour. Bring the ring by then to the museum and everyone will live. Try to run—I enjoy the chase."

Naruto picked out Misaki's voice from the crowd protesting to the last revelation. A terrorist screamed at her to shut up before another knocked her out with the butt of his gun. Ino tensed at the display of violence.

The phone fell off the table before it lost signal.

* * *

Author's note:

Aromatic reactions are a class of organic chemistry reactions involving aromatic molecules. Most drugs contain aromatic rings.

_Voleur_ in French means "robber." The original version of _Crossroads_ had a French cultural motif and I decided to keep it for variety.

Ja ne-

Callista Miralni


	10. juu

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: plot only. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

Subtle romance is really my thing. Really guys.

* * *

_Sakura had been alone with Sasuke before on several occasions but never did it feel awkward._

_Now as they walked through the streets of Konoha, their hometown and the second biggest city in Hi no Kuni, she was all too aware of Sasuke's solid presence half a foot from her side._

_A crowd of people spilled out from the subway and she subconsciously grabbed Sasuke's hand. Looking down at her, his grip tightened before leading her out of the crowd._

_CLICK!_

_Her sharp ears caught the sound of a shutter closing and Sakura tried to remain composed. The paparazzi were everywhere, eager to catch a glimpse into Sasuke's private life._

"_Ice cream?" He murmured._

"_You hate sweets." Sakura pointed out._

"_We've got to give them something," Sasuke reasoned. "It's all part of the game."_

_She felt sick. Of course it was part of the charade. That was the whole reason they were out in the first place._

_The strawberry ice cream slid down her throat but it did nothing to relieve the summer heat._

_Sasuke reached across and wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Confused, she stared at him. What was he doing? Sakura knew there was nothing on her face. _

_She caught his hand and let it rest on her cheek. "Your idea of chivalry is ridiculous."_

* * *

"_You like her."_

_Itachi slid a glass of tequila sunrise towards him. _

"_What are you talking about?" _

_His brother mixed a martini for himself. "Don't play stupid," Itachi warned him. "You like Haruno-chan more than just a friend."_

"_Of course I do," Sasuke sneered. "She's my best friend."_

_Shaking his head, Itachi wondered when his brilliant brother became so stupid._

* * *

"_Nee-chan, are you really going to marry Sasuke-nii?"_

_Kazuto stood in her doorway and she waved him inside. "What other choice do I have?" Sakura sighed. _

"_You always have a choice," Kazuto softly reminded her. "You can choose to view this as a duty or as an opportunity. It's not like they matched you with a stranger."_

_She sat still._

"_Do something about it, Nee-san!" Kazuto raised his voice. "Fight back! Why are you being so passive and letting Chichiue dictate everything you do?"_

"_Kazuto."_

"_You are at a crossroads where you can choose to define how the rest of your life will turn out," he pointed out. "The real question is: what are you going to do about it?"_

_Her brother stormed out, leaving Sakura to her thoughts._

* * *

**-sakura-**

What could they do? The ANBU told them to protect the ring; the terrorist told them to hand it over. They had a deadline approaching in three hours and they were stranded on an island miles away from the coast.

"There has got to be a compromise," Ino groaned. "We're an innocent group caught between two strong parties."

Hand over the ring and everyone lives. The sapphire would be sold on the black market and a string of crimes would follow. The National Museum would lose a valuable piece of their exhibit.

Five hundred lives versus the unknown number of bodies following the ring as it circled the globe.

Perhaps the agent was right. The sapphire needed to be safe.

"Maybe there is a way," Sakura whispered, grabbing the ring from Naruto as she stood up. "Come on—we have work to do."

* * *

**-naruto-**

He didn't know if it was brilliance or desperation motivating Sakura to drive through Uzushio at top speed at three-thirty in the morning. She wound through the empty streets before parking at the entrance to the upstairs apartment of a commercial building.

"Please be awake," she chanted under her breath as she pounded on the door. "For the love of God, be awake."

The door swung open and the hallway light silhouetted a man in his early forties.

"Sakura-san," he greeted, confused. "What on earth are you doing here so late?"

She pushed them all inside and locked the door. "I need you," she answered. "There is something only you can do and it needs to be done before dawn or everyone dies."

* * *

**-sasuke-**

Seated in the living room with cups of hot chocolate the man's wife happily laid out for them, Sasuke felt secure knowing the handgun was in easy reach even though he knew they were in a safe place.

Sakura's plan was clever, but there were so many risks. If it failed, not only would all the guests die, but they would as well. Time was probably the biggest issue.

"Where are we?" Ino asked.

Sasuke knew the moment they pulled into the back lot where they were and who they were visiting. He started to reply, but paused. Would it be better for Ino and Naruto to know Sakura's risky plan? Or would leaving them in the dark spare their lives?

Better not to say anything.

"A friend's," Sasuke answered evasively.

Naruto wasn't buying it. "What are we doing here?"

The wife returned with blankets. "You should get some rest," the woman advised with a kind smile. "Kankuro-san knows where to find you."

Sasuke forced Naruto and Ino to take blankets. He waited until they were asleep before getting up and walking into the kitchen with their used mugs.

"Sasuke honey, you don't have to do that," the woman protested to him washing the dishes. "You're our guest."

He placed the mugs on the drying rack. "Sana, we've woken you up in the middle of the night and burdened you with our problems. Washing dishes is the least I can do for your troubles."

Watanuki Sana laughed. "You'll be good for her," she said warmly. "I'm glad Mebuki-san picked you and not the Komoto boy."

Sasuke stiffened at the mention of Komoto Hiro. The son of a famous actor who often starred in his father's movies, Hiro was a typical Hollywood Hills child. They never got along when they were children and now in their twenties, that mutual dislike blossomed into complete disdain and hatred.

"It's because I will make more money than Hiro ever will as a second-rate actor," Sasuke sniped.

Sana's peal of laughter relaxed the tension in his shoulders. "Of course you will, honey. You have your mother's gift of seeing to the heart of the matter and not focusing on the surrounding distractions. How do you think she soared through medical school and started her own business?"

She lightly pushed him out of the kitchen. "You need to sleep. I'll get Sakura-chan in a minute."

Grumbling about how the littlest women were always the pushiest ones, Sasuke settled under a thick comforter on the couch with no intention of sleeping. Minutes later, Sana pushed Sakura into the living room and sat her on the sofa beside him. Sasuke lifted the comforter as an invitation.

"You think I'm crazy," she softly said as she nestled in his arms under the comforter.

"I think there are a lot of risks," Sasuke refuted.

"You think something will go wrong?"

"I hope not," he answered before kissing her on the forehead. "You need to sleep."

Leaning his head back on the sofa, Sasuke almost didn't hear Sakura's whisper of "You too, Sasuke-kun."

The sound of Sakura's even breathing filled his ears and he could feel her heartbeat against his. Is this what it would be like to fall asleep next to Sakura every night? His eyelids grew heavy and he rested his head on hers.

"I know you're not asleep," Sakura suddenly murmured, shifting in his arms. "Have you slept once tonight?"

"Can't," Sasuke responded quietly.

Her jade eyes softened. "Don't be afraid," she reassured him with a small smile. "Everything will be alright."

Sasuke wanted to scoff at her ridiculous optimism but he was so _tired_ of being cynical and terrified _nothing_ will go right in his life from now on that the sliver of hope she offered was just enough to believe in. Squeezing her tighter, he told her to go back to sleep but he should have expected the saucy reply of "only if you will."

"You're really warm," Sakura idly commented. "I never noticed before."

"You've never been in my arms this long before."

"True," she giggled. "I wouldn't mind if we stayed like this forever."

His eyes widened at the comment. Did that mean-? No, it couldn't be. Sakura was saying things without thinking again.

"Have you ever been in love?"

The question caught him off guard. "Never."

"Really?" Sakura was curious. "You dated Karin and Tayuya for the longest time though."

"Four months is not a long time Sakura. Karin and I were only together for one month before she decided we were better friends. Why haven't you dated anyone?"

She fell silent, composing an answer. "I suppose... it's because I'm too selfish," she confessed. "It's like all anyone ever sees me as is a doll and not a person. Boys look at me and think of how much money my family has and how they're set for an easy life. They think of how good my reputation looks decorated on their arm and not how hard I've worked to get to where I am. Few people respect me for who I am because everyone else is too busy looking at the charming doll my parents presented when I was younger. Is it really so much to ask for someone who likes Sakura and not the Haruno name?"

He wondered how she could say everything he thought the last four years so easily.

"We'll be selfish together," he answered quietly. "Sleep, Sakura."

She stared at him with a conflicted expression for a moment before reaching up and dropping a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth. Nestled under his chin once again, Sakura murmured "good night" against his collarbone. Sasuke closed his eyes and slipped into sleep to the sound of their matching heartbeats.

* * *

Author's note:

I meant to post this yesterday but some things came up and I got delayed. My bad. I'll update like usual tomorrow.

Ja ne-  
Callista Miralni


	11. juu ichi

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: plot only. The ring actually exists, you know. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

At last, the end of my horrible suspense writing. I think.

* * *

_She blinked owlishly at the paper._

"_Just sign my name and initial each page?"_

_Sasuke scowled and grabbed it from her. "Read everything carefully," he scolded. "There might be something hidden in there to trap you."_

_Sakura groaned. "I hate legalities. I can never understand them."_

"_Aren't you getting a minor in entrepreneurship?"_

_She shrank into her chair. "Yeah. I barely passed business law."_

_Sasuke shook his head and continued to read the housing contract._

* * *

"_Sa~ku~ra~cha~nnnnnn!"_

_The air left her lungs temporarily. "Na-ru-to-ku-n," she gasped out. "I can't breathe..."_

"_Ah! Gomen!" The blonde squawked as he loosened his grip on her. "Ne, are you excited for graduation?"_

_She perked up at the mention of their commencement ceremony in two weeks. "Of course," she smiled. "I can't wait to get out of here."_

"_And leave me and Ino-chan behind?"_

_Sasuke rolled his eyes._

"_Leaving you—definitely. Ino, not so much," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. _

_Naruto pouted for a moment before brightening up. "One day, Saki-chan, we're going to get married and I'll work in Sasuke's lab as his business guy. And Ino-chan can work in the hospital with you!"_

_Sakura shared a dark look with Sasuke._

"_Why would you want us to be together forever?"_

_Naruto's voice lost its joyous tone._

"_Because we're family."_

_Her eyes softened from its harsh stare and Sakura whispered his name._

"_And I love you!"_

_Immediately, Sakura's eyes hardened and she scowled._

* * *

"_You haven't said anything to her yet."_

_Naruto threw back the shot. "Yes, I have," he insisted. "'s not my fault she won't take me seriously."_

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who could take you seriously Dobe?" He said as he took another drink. "You're always goofing off and constantly telling her you love her. No wonder Sakura thinks you're joking."_

"_But I'm being serious!"_

"_You have no sincerity," the Uchiha pointed out harshly. "And she can tell. Naruto, when we graduate next week, there is no guarantee you will ever see her again."_

"_That's why there's The Plan," Naruto quietly refuted. "I know your mom works with Sakura-chan's dad sometimes. If I work for you, I'll be able to see her. Eventually, she'll have to give me a chance."_

_Sasuke wanted to hit him. Love doesn't work like that, he wanted to shout. Sakura would date him to get Naruto off her back, not because she genuinely had deeper feelings for him. She would never marry him because of her desperate need for independence and space._

_Naruto needed a girl who relied on him to be her knight in shining armor. He needed a girl who worships the ground he walks on, who would do anything for him in a heartbeat. He needed a girl who possessed enough backbone to tell him when he's being stupid, but would say it in a gentle enough way as to not spark a screaming match. Someone like Hyuuga Hinata, with her quiet nature and timid personality, would suit Naruto best but Sasuke wasn't cruel enough to wish someone as rambunctious as Naruto on a girl as sweet as Hinata._

_Sakura needed a guy who could quietly support her and be willing to let her exercise her creativity. She needed someone who could temper and match her fiery nature. Sakura needed the freedom to breathe._

_Thinking on it, Sasuke wished he knew what kind of person he needed. If he knew, maybe it would be easier to let go of his ridiculous reliance on Sakura to balance his life._

* * *

**-ino-**

The sun was rising.

Pale light illuminated the marble steps to the Museum of Natural History. Ino watched as Sakura and Sasuke climbed the stairs with enviable grace and composure. From her position behind the wave of ANBU agents, Special Defense, and policemen, the woman could see the dim scattering light by the sapphire on Sakura's left hand.

The agent they spoke with earlier frowned. "I can't believe she's disobeying a direct order."

"They're civilians, not soldiers," Kankuro reminded him sharply. "Your orders are meaningless to them."

The leader waited for them at the top of the steps with Temari beside him. Ino saw Kankuro's jaw ripple in anger at the sight of his sister's pale face. Even though someone wrapped her wound with a makeshift bandage, Temari still bled heavily. Nine other people were huddled on the step with her, all of them bound at the wrists.

Panic suddenly seized her. What if this was a trick? What if handing over the jewel causes a bloody massacre? Every instinct warned her to run but Ino remained in place. Her anxiety must have showed because the agent gave her a wane smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "We have eyes across the street."

Her gaze darted to the rooftops and the sunlight caught a sniper's scope. Ino relaxed for a moment before the someone spoke across the street.

"Come up to the roof," the leader finally said. "We'll exchange there."

Ino could barely make out the nod of Sakura's head before she and Sasuke disappeared into the dark museum lobby.

* * *

**-sakura-**

"You made the right decision."

Sakura's voice took on a chilling tone. "You didn't give me many options."

He stretched out his hand. Sakura slid her engagement ring off her finger and dropped it into his open palm.

"Loupe."

A jeweler's loupe was handed to him. Holding the ring up to the light, he inspected the sapphire with the loupe. She resisted the urge to bite her lip. What were they waiting for? They got their stupid jewel—just let everyone go!

After a few minutes, the terrorist handed the loupe to his comrade and slipped the ring on. "It seems you have upheld your end of the bargain."

"My parents and guests," Sakura reminded him sharply.

"Ah yes." He gave her a chilling smile. "I did say I would let them go, didn't I?"

The sound of whirring blades filled the air as two helicopters landed on the roof. The leader whistled, gathering his men to the rooftop.

"Adieu, Haruno-san. I enjoyed working with you this evening. Perhaps in the future, we'll be close business partners."

The crew boarded the helicopters, their leader's gaze still on her and Sasuke, as they took off into the dawn, leaving nothing behind but early morning silence.

* * *

**-naruto-**

Little by little, the guests came out of the museum. A dozen ambulances filled the street in front, treating people for superficial wounds. A squadron of Special Defense forces swept through the museum and were surprised to find no casualties during the ten-hour siege.

When Sakura and Sasuke finally emerged from the museum, Ino ran down and enveloped them in a tight hug. Naruto followed at a more sedate pace.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Ino exclaimed. "I'll never forgive you if you do."

Sakura apologized repeatedly, elbowing Sasuke to do the same. Once Ino had enough of hearing their apologies, she let them go and looked at him expectantly.

Stepping forward, Naruto hugged Sasuke first. "I'm glad you're okay, man."

"Sorry," Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck.

Naruto reached out and gathered Sakura in his arms. "_Don't,"_ he echoed Ino's words. "-ever do that again."

To his surprise, Sakura hugged him back and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sasuke tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at someone behind them. An irate ANBU agent, different from the one they dealt with the entire evening, stormed towards them with Kankuro on his heels.

"Haruno-san!" He stopped inches away from Sakura. "How could you make that decision without consulting us? This is a federal investigation and I should arrest you for obstruction."

"You asked me to sacrifice five hundred lives in exchange for an eight hundred thousand dollar rock," Sakura said, her voice like steel. "I'm a medical student—I'm dedicated to saving as many _lives_ as possible in my chosen profession. Besides, you have no right to my sapphire."

The agent sputtered. "That jewel is property of the National Museum-"

"Who _lost _it." Sakura interrupted. "Even though the jewel is stolen property, it was purchased through legal means. My _fiancé_ possess the certificate of authenticity for the jewel; in the eyes of the law, the sapphire and its setting belong to _me._"

Everyone was at a loss for words. Sakura—who normally couldn't make sense of any kind of legal document—was asserting her civil rights? The girl who usually cared less about material possessions and couldn't be won over by sparkling trinkets was fighting for her jewelry?

"It doesn't matter even if you legally own the ring, seeing as how you handed it over without a second thought," the agent hissed.

Sakura stuck her hand into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out something. The brilliant white sapphire scattered white light everywhere between her fingers.

"I happen to know the artist who designed my engagement ring and had him make me another," she explained as she slid her engagement ring onto her left hand. "He happened to receive your stolen sapphire as part of a shipment of gemstones he ordered to make his rings. Luckily for me, he had a spare setting because his wife loved the design so much. It wasn't much to insert another similar quality sapphire into the setting and pass it off as the original."

Cradling her hand close to her chest, Sakura gave the agent a defiant stare. "If you want it so badly, then pay fifteen hundred dollars for it."

The agent grew red in the face and stormed off. Naruto couldn't believe Sakura had the gall to challenge a federal agent over a _rock._

Kankuro ushered them all into a car.

"Come on—I'll take you guys home."


	12. juu ni

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: plot only. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

Moving onto the things I'm slightly better at. Only slightly though.

* * *

"_At the gala," Misaki snapped her fan shut. "We open with a waltz."_

"_Misaki-nee, get to the point," Sakura snapped. "It happens at every event."_

_The older Haruno tapped her sister on the head with her fan. "Patience, Saki-chan!" She laughed. "For this event, Chichiue and Hahaue, Takashi-nii and I, and Sasuke-san's parents will open the dance. When you see us take our places, that's your cue to ask Saki-chan to dance, Sasuke-san."_

"_Hn."_

"_And now!" Misaki gestured to Kazuto in the corner. "Music! We must check your dance form so as to ensure you won't embarrass the rest of us classy beings!"_

_Sakura cringed. Misaki couldn't let it go after four years. Sakura refused to show her face in public while completing her undergraduate studies so she could focus on school. Out of everyone in her family, Misaki was the most upset. She viewed it as Sakura's refusal to support her work._

_Sasuke stood up reluctantly and offered a hand to her. The music swelled and they spun on the dance floor in perfect sync._

* * *

_The office phone rang but Sasuke took his time in answering. _

"_Uchiha."_

_The secretary, a young intern in her third year at Konoha University, answered all too brightly, "Haruno Sakura-san to see you, sir. Shall I let her in?"_

_He bit back the caustic retort. Of course she was to let Sakura in. Mikoto briefed the staff and told them they were not to deny her access to the facilities, especially Sasuke's office._

"_Send her in." Sasuke dropped the phone on its cradle._

_A minute later, Sakura strolled inside, looking as if it were her office she waltzed into, not Sasuke's._

"_I thought I'd drop by and visit you. Just like old times."_

_He smirked and offered her a seat. She sank onto the couch. "Ne, Sasuke-kun, I like this place better than the graduate center. You get better seating choices for sure."_

"_They say Itachi conceived his illegitimate daughter on that couch," Sasuke said, nonchalant. _

_She sprang to her feet and edged away from the furniture. Sasuke couldn't hold his laughter back._

"_Stop laughing at me!"_

"_I'm joking," he said. "The couch is brand new. Okaa-san bought it when I graduated."_

_Sakura lunged forward and grabbed him by the shirt. Wrestling him to the couch, she pinned him in place._

"_Didn't you know, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said, sickly sweet. "They say this is the very couch Uchiha Sasuke submitted to Haruno Sakura's awesome power."_

"_Sounds like a blatant-"_

_The door swung open and the intern dropped the files in her hands to the floor. "Oh... um... I... uh... I'm sorry!" She bowed hastily and turned on heel._

_The two blinked at the door before looking at each other._

"_What was that about?" Sakura wondered._

_He swallowed when she turned her gaze on him. Were Sakura's eyes always this shade of clear jade?_

"_No idea," he responded as he picked her up around the waist and removed her from his lap. "C'mon—after we pick up these files, we can get a crepe or something."_

_She beamed at him._

"_Hai!"_

* * *

_Sasuke severely underestimated Haruno Kazuto._

_They say older brothers are terrifying but Sasuke had to disagree. Younger brothers are the worst. He couldn't discount their age, because they could be a master of Wu Shu kung fu or jujitsu for all he knew. It was hard to take them seriously when they looked so innocent but Sasuke knew from personal experience that innocence was relative. When Kazuto stopped by his office and locked the door behind him, Sasuke knew this was not a courtesy visit._

_He swallowed when Kazuto turned his sharp malachite eyes on him._

"_I like you," the teenager said simply. "You're good for my sister."_

_Sasuke forced himself to remain composed. That was it?_

"_But..." Kazuto dragged the word out. "I happen to know a hundred and one ways to kill someone and not leave any evidence behind so it's best you don't try anything to hurt her further, ne?"_

"_Why on earth would you know something like that?"_

"_Saki-nee," he answered plainly. "We're very close."_

_Sasuke sweatdropped. Of course. He should have known. It was one of the many things they learned in their chemistry classes, aside from the tidbits about kangaroos and over-the-counter crystal meth production. Sakura probably took great delight in educating her baby brother on such grisly topics._

"_I promise I won't ever hurt her."_

_Kazuto stood up and brushed the lint from his uniform. "Oh, I wouldn't promise things like that," he warned lightly. "You've already hurt her by agreeing to this arrangement. The best you can do is promise you'll take care of her and be by her side no matter what."_

_The promise seemed so daunting. He shirked away from the notion of "forever" but the next words from his lips were so easy to say._

"_I promise."_

* * *

**-sasuke-  
-one week later-**

Sasuke stepped out of his car and walked up the winding pathway to the front door. Sakura was already at the door, waiting for him to come inside.

He hadn't seen her or anyone else for a week. Sasuke threw himself into work; staying at home meant struggling to put his emotions in order. There were so many unresolved issues from that night, most of them personal rather than psychological trauma from the ordeal. Naruto refused to speak to him, not that Sasuke was surprised. Still, he hoped Naruto would be mature about his engagement and support him beyond his tacit blessing on Uzushio Island.

His mother mentioned an impending lawsuit between him, Sakura, and the government over the ring. Sasuke tuned her out, preferring not to think of the item that got them into this mess in the first place.

They shut themselves inside the children's study.

"That was an incredible risk you took," Sasuke finally said after a long moment of silence.

She looked away. "I had to find a compromise."

Some thing on the desk caught his eye and Sasuke came face-to-face with the mock-up of their wedding invitation.

_Dr. and Mr. Fugaku Uchiha _

_and _

_Dr. and Dr. Kizashi Haruno_

_cordially invite you to celebrate the union of their children_

_SASUKE_

_and_

_SAKURA_

_beginning at _

_one o'clock in the afternoon_

_on October 4_

_at the Fukushima Hall_

_Reception and Dinner to follow_

The table was covered with ribbon samples, photos of flower arrangements, and lists of things needed to do before the wedding. Sasuke swallowed. Seeing all of the wedding preparations was a harsh wake-up call. He was going to marry Sakura.

The same Sakura who spent countless nights studying with him, who acted as designated driver for all the parties they attended, who he could never seem to get away from. This was the woman who ruthlessly tore down his ego, who remained by his side during his most trying times, who constantly held his hand for reassurance.

Sasuke was marrying Sakura, the woman who didn't need a man by her side because she was capable of taking care of herself.

He wondered why he bothered protecting her in the first place. Perhaps it was instinct. After all, Sakura remained oblivious to the amount of attention she attracted because of her wealthy father, her famous mother, and her jaw-dropping reputation.

Did she even _want_ to marry him? Sasuke hadn't thought about it in a while. Was Sakura still resenting their arrangement? His stomach twisted at the thought. Yes, Sasuke accepted their parents' decision a long time ago, but now, he felt like he was going through with this for himself. Did she think the same way?

"Sakura, you don't have to go through this if you don't want to."

His fiancée gathered her lists and shoved them into a folder.

"We'll be late for our cake tasting if we don't hurry."

* * *

**-sakura-**

Minutes after Sasuke brought her home after another of their Friday dates, Sakura hopped into her car and drove for the beach. Her phone flashed, the pop-up indicating she had another text message. She ignored it, weaving through the maze-like streets of her cousin's neighborhood.

Temari was not surprised to see her at the door, calling instead for her younger brother to come downstairs. Sunano Gaara took one look at her before dragging Sakura to his own car.

"Speak," Gaara commanded once they were driving down the road to their favorite place. "Every one is worried about you most of all, even though Temari-nee and Kazuto were the ones injured."

"How are you?" Sakura ignored his prompt. "I heard you just got back from Kaze no Kuni."

"Kaze was fine and my internship was great. Now stop trying to dodge the issue."

Gaara parked his car and the two walked along the beach before settling onto an outcropping of rocks. The other man noticed his cousin toying with her ring.

"It's a Watanuki, isn't it?"

Sakura looked up. "Yeah. Kyouya-san made it."

Gaara held out his hand and Sakura dropped the ring into his palm. The white sapphire caught the moonlight. "Sasuke has good taste."

Sliding the ring back onto her finger, Sakura shrugged. "Everyone else says that too."

"You don't sound so convinced."

"It's hard to be convinced when I see all the reasons why he gave it to me," Sakura shot back. "This ring describes a woman Sasuke loves, not a friend who agreed to marry him for her parents' sake."

"Tell me about her," Gaara suggested. "Who is this woman Sasuke loves?"

The woman paused to collect her thoughts before explaining. "This woman is amazing. She's strong, intelligent, and lively. She's simple and complex all at the same time and Sasuke is never going to find another girl like her in a million years."

To Gaara, it sounded like Sakura's problem was she couldn't reconcile what Sasuke saw in her with what she knew of herself. Instead, he softly answered, "She sounds incredible."

The tide was coming in, waves cresting on the beach. The city seemed so far away.

"No one is going to be upset if you don't go through with this," Gaara said. "The real question is: are you going to? Don't do this for anyone but yourself."

The cousins sat in silence for the rest of the night.

* * *

**-naruto-**

Walking side-by-side down the boardwalk, Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets, eyes wandering to the different storefronts. His gaze turned to the horizon and he could make out the rising peaks of Uzushio Island.

A bag from another local jeweler swung freely from Sasuke's wrist.

"Hey," Naruto pulled his attention. "Are you sure you're ready to get married?"

It felt so _liberating_ to be honest after nearly an entire summer of deception. Naruto hated to admit it, but he missed the easy relationship between him and his best friend. The constant tension and secrecy between them made Naruto doubt the strength of their bond. Three years was a long time.

"No," Sasuke confessed. "But somehow it feels like the right thing to do."

They sat down on a park bench and watched the crowd.

"I wish I was you," Naruto suddenly said.

Smiling crookedly, Sasuke leaned back.

"I know. I wish I was you too."

* * *

**-ino-**

Ever since Sakura announced her engagement, there was only one day Ino looked forward to.

Dress shopping.

Currently, Sakura was in the fitting room, sliding into yet another white dress. This one was the simplest of them all with a satin trim and an A-line waist.

"What do you think?" Sakura came out and stood in front of the mirror.

Glancing at the glass behind her, Ino saw the dress wasn't a simple as she thought. Lace flowers matching Sakura's controversial engagement ring decorated the edges of the corset.

"It matches your ring..." she trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

Her best friend groaned and disappeared into the fitting room to try on a different dress.

Ino eyed the champagne dress hanging across from her. It was her bridesmaid dress. She liked how simple it was, a definite reflection of Sakura's personal tastes. Her cell phone rang from her pocket and Ino glanced at the screen.

"What's up?"

"How's it going?" Sasuke asked her before he said, "Dobe, you've got it backwards!"

"Slow," Ino groaned. "We still haven't made a decision. Sounds like you guys haven't either."

"Ino, does she really want to go through with this?"

The sales associate brought in another gown.

"She hasn't said anything otherwise," Ino said in a low voice. "Haven't you guys talked about this?"

"I tried!" Sasuke groaned. "Instead of giving me an answer, she runs off to take care of something for the wedding."

"I'll talk to her about it," she assured him. "In the meantime, concentrate on finding the right tux."

"Ino," Sasuke paused before hanging up the phone. "Tell her no matter what she decides, I'll always be here."

* * *

Author's note:

One more chapter guys.

Ja ne~  
Callista Miralni


	13. juu san

Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: the plot only. Yup. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

And so, we reach the end. I had a lot of fun writing this. Thank you for the support! One day, I may revisit this story and rewrite it like I'm doing for the original but no promises.

* * *

**-epilogue-**

It was the same everywhere.

The _flowers,_ the _guests_, the _whispers_ going around.

October 4.

* * *

**-naruto-**

In the groom's room, Naruto managed to tie his bow tie correctly without assistance from his mother. Behind him, two of his college buddies, Kiba, knocked back a shot with Sai.

"I can't believe you're getting married!" Kiba clapped Sasuke on the shoulder with a heavy hand. "I didn't know you and Sakura-chan had a thing going on... though that explains why the two of you were always glued together."

"Pay up," Sai ordered, stretching out his hand. "I _told_ you something was going on between them and you didn't believe me!"

The four of them agreed no one else besides their immediate families would know the truth about their sudden marriage. It made it easier to pretend.

"Yeah, me neither." Sasuke shifted his weight. "I'm glad you guys are here with me today."

Kazuto poked his head around the door. "Guys, it's time." He opened the door fully. "And Sasuke-nii, welcome to the family."

* * *

**-ino-**

Tenten and Karin's familiar bickering calmed her nerves and stopped her from shaking Sakura by the shoulders and demanding she stop this nonsense immediately. Seated before the vanity, Sakura calmly watched them, ignoring her sister's fussing with her veil overhead.

"Misaki," Mebuki-san called from the door. "It's time."

Misaki left the room, not before kissing her sister's cheek and whispering she was proud of her. Karin and Tenten also filed out.

"Saki," Ino whispered. "It's not too late, you know."

She met her pleading stare and shook her head.

"I know."

Ino wished her smile wasn't so false.

* * *

**-sakura-**

Her father complimented her as he took her arm.

"You may not see it now, but it's a good thing you're doing."

How was it good? Sakura wanted to scream. How was breaking Naruto's heart and leading Sasuke on a _good_ thing? Sakura wasn't stupid; Sasuke may have not loved her when there were first engaged but he was falling more and more in love with her with each passing day. Naruto was a friend, despite how obnoxious his constant, insincere love declarations were, and she hated to hurt someone close to her.

"You probably hate us for making you go through with this," her father whispered. "But it wasn't about the hospital at all."

The sudden revelation made her falter.

"What?" She hissed as the ushers prepared to open the doors. "Hold those doors."

Unsure, they kept the doors shut.

"_Explain_."

Kizashi ran his hand through his hair. "You never think about yourself, Sakura-san," he told her. "You're so focused on getting into medical school and becoming a top surgeon so you can take over the hospital when I retire. It's not healthy for you to drown yourself in your work. Trust me."

She was stunned. What was he saying?

"Every time you came home and told us stories about your adventures with Ino-san and Sasuke-san, we were so happy you had _friends_. You never spoke about your friends when you were a child, let alone have a friend over as often as Ino-san comes over. Your mother and I were afraid with your tendencies to focus solely on your goals, you'd never leave time for your personal life."

"But why make me marry Sasuke-kun?"

Her father tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "You may not have realized it then," he started to say as he signaled for the ushers to open the doors. "And you may not realize it now, but you have always loved him."

The opening notes of Pachelbel's _Canon in D_ floated through the doorway and a million faces stared back at her. In front of the window, the minister raised an eyebrow at her five-minute delay but his expression betrayed none of his thoughts. To the left of the minister, Ino smiled but her hands were twisting around her bouquet in anxiety. On the right, Naruto gave her an inquisitive look before shock overtook his features as he took in the sight of her in her wedding dress.

"Smile, sweetheart," Kizashi urged her in a low voice. "Every girl deserves to be happy on her wedding day."

Her head spun, overloaded with information. Her parents forced her to marry Sasuke because she _loved him?_ Was she really so out of touch with her own emotions she couldn't recognize that herself?

Her eyes slid to Sasuke standing straight next to the minister. He gave her a soft, encouraging smile as her father gave her hand to him.

"Ready?" Sasuke whispered as they approached the official, arm-in-arm.

Sakura surprised herself with the sincerity of her reply.

"Yes."

* * *

**-six hours later-**

Curled up next to him in the backseat of the Towncar, Sakura, now dressed in skinny jeans and a keyhole shirt Sasuke bought for her over the summer, played with Sasuke's cell phone, trying to figure out where they were going for their honeymoon. In the front seat, Nagisawa chuckled at her relentless stream of questions directed at both men.

"Uchiha-san-"

"Nagisawa-san, that's my mother-in-law."

"Sakura-san then," the driver amended. "I only know where to drop you off. The rest only Sasuke-san knows."

She pouted before turning her pleading gaze to him. Sasuke held up his hands in surrender.

"What? You don't like surprises?"

"The last time we tried to surprise anybody, we ended up in the middle of a jewel heist," she grumbled.

Sasuke laughed. "This time, I guarantee there won't be any heists going on. You'll love it."

"I don't know..." Sakura doubted. "You told Misa-nee to pack my suitcase after all. She probably slipped in a bunch of embarrassing things like lingerie and revealing swimsuits and skimpy clothing... clothing married women should _not_ be wearing."

Nagisawa parked the car. Eagerly, Sakura looked out the window and realized that wherever Sasuke planned to take her, it involved an airplane.

"You said you always wanted to go here."

Her brain filled in the blank immediately but she couldn't believe he listened to one of her many rants about places she'd like to visit once she was a licensed surgeon. College seemed so long ago, the library and the back corner they often claimed as their own so far away.

"C'mon." Sasuke squeezed her hand. "We've got a long flight ahead."

_New Caledonia_.

* * *

**-sasuke-**

The Isle of Pines was perfect.

Sasuke had not seen Sakura this relaxed since she found out she got into medical school late in the spring. It was the third day of their weeklong vacation and today was dedicated to lounging on the beach.

Their private cliff-side bungalow had steps leading straight to the water and the couple took advantage of the little lagoon below their hotel room. Strolling through the shallow water, Sasuke and Sakura walked in silence.

"Hey, I've been thinking."

Sasuke wondered if they were finally going to talk about their marriage.

"My dad said something weird to me before I walked down the aisle," Sakura admitted before relating her father's words. "I just wanted to know... do you love me?"

He was silent, unsure of where to start. Two years of Naruto throwing himself at her and loudly proclaiming his love made Sakura a cynic and Sasuke cautious about uttering the phrase. Yet, he would be lying if he said otherwise.

"I don't think I loved you when I slid that ring on your finger, at least, not the way a man should love his fiancée," Sasuke responded quietly. "I don't think I loved you when you defied a gang of criminals and saved five hundred lives, including my parents, either. But I think I'm starting to understand why Naruto found it so hard to give you up and I'm not going to stop myself from falling in love with you."

Her eyes widened in shock. Sasuke thought he said too much and pushed her to the point where her natural defense mechanism would be to ignore what he said and push him away. The soft pressure on his lips equally surprised him; Sasuke thought he was dreaming except the water lapping around his ankles reminded him where he was in the beginning.

It was a start.


End file.
